She is, of course, overwhelmed with grief, but would, I think, prefer to be left to herself for the present.

Her firmness and composure should be a lesson to me, but I am constitutionally excitable, and this catastrophe coming after our long period of suspense deprived me of my very reason for a time." "If we can do nothing until the morning," I said, "you have time to tell us all that has occurred." "I will do so," he answered, rising and holding his shaking hands to the fire.

"You know already that we have had reason for some time--for many years in fact--to fear that a terrible retribution was hanging over my father's head for a certain action of his early life.

In this action he was associated with the man known as Corporal Rufus Smith, so that the fact of the latter finding his way to my father was a warning to us that the time had come, and that this 5th of October--the anniversary of the misdeed--would be the day of its atonement.

I told you of our fears in my letter, and, if I am not mistaken, my father also had some conversation with you, John, upon the subject.