She never complained, poor soul! never mentioned Percy's name until the last, when she begged me to be kind to him if he should ever come to throw himself upon my kindness.

I gave her my promise that, if that came to pass, he should find me a better friend to him than he deserved.

It is hard to refuse the last prayer of a faithful wife who has done her duty patiently for nearly thirty years." "Have you any reason to suppose your son still living ?" "I have no evidence of his death.

Often and often, after my poor wife was gone, I have sat alone here of a night thinking of him; thinking that he might come in upon me at any moment; almost listening for his footstep in the quiet of the place.

But he never came.