Without the least change of countenance or of voice, he replied-- "'Heard of it, man, aye, and forgotten it by this; why it is some centuries ago.

It would have been a good thing for me had she died years before she did.' "'Cecil Grahame!' I exclaimed, in a tone that rung in my ears some hours afterwards, and I believe made him start, daring even as he was, 'do you know it is your mother of whom you speak?
a mother whose only fault towards you was too much love, a mother whose too fond heart your cruel conduct broke; are you so completely devoid of feeling that not even this can move you ?' "'Pray add to your long list of my good mother's perfections a weakness that ruined me, that made me the wretch I am,' he wildly exclaimed, and he clenched his hand and bit his lip till the blood came, while his cheek became livid with some feeling I could not fathom.

He spurred his horse violently, the spirited animal started forward, a kind of spell seemed to rivet my eyes upon him.

There was a loud report of cannon from the Place de Greve, several balls whizzed close by me, evidently fired to disperse the multitude, who were tumultuously assembling on the Pont de la Cite, and ere I could recover from the startling effects of the report, I heard a shrill scream of mortal agony, and Cecil Grahame fell from his horse a shattered corpse.
* * * * * For several minutes I was wholly unconscious of all that was passing around me.

I stood by the body of the unfortunate young man, quite insensible to the danger I was incurring from the shot.