Part 67 (1/2)

And how did the others get on, those that had their lives bound up with ours, so that we couldn't be hurt without their bleeding, almost in their hearts?--that is, mother's bled to death, at any rate; when she heard of Ji taken it broke her heart clean; she never held her head up after Aileen told me in her letter she used to nurse his baby and cry over hi about her dear boy Jiround at St Kilda As to Aileen, she had long vowed herself to the service of the Virgin She knew that she was co herself to an earthly love She had been punished for her sin by the death of hio into the convent at Soubiaca, where she should be able to wear out her life in prayer for those of her blood who still lived, as well as for the souls of those who lay in the little burying-ground on the banks of the far Warrego

Jeanie settled to stop in Melbourne She had h to keep her coht up in a different style from his father

As for Gracey, she sent me a letter in which she said she was like the bird that could only sing one song She would ree was very kind, and would never allow any one to speak harshly of his former friends We must wait and et bits of news even in a condemned cell, from time to time, about the outside world I learned that Wall and Hulbert and Moran and another felloere still at large, and following up their old gah

Well, this has been a thundering long yarn, hasn't it? All ain It didn't take so long in the telling; it's a an And this life itself has reeled away so quick, it hardly seean It won't last er Another week and it will be over There's a fellow to be strung up beforehis wife The scoundrel, I wonder how he feels?

I've had visitors too; soaol wall One day who should cohter

There was a young gentlelish lord, a baronet, or so of that sort, and was to be married to Miss Falkland She stood and looked atinnocent eyes, so pitiful and kind-like I could have thrown myself down at her feet

Mr Falkland talked away, and asked reatly interested When I told hi shot dead, and Starlight dying alongside the old horse, the tears came into Miss Falkland's eyes, and she cried for a bit, quite feeling and natural

Mr Falkland asked htley's, and took down a lot of things in his pocket-book I wondered what he did that for

When they said good-bye Mr Falkland shook hands with ood for th of it'

Then Miss Falkland came forward and held out her beautiful hand to hbred angel, as she alas It very nigh cooked e, I couldn't have spoken a word to save e, or whatever his name was, didn't seem to fancy it over e people Our friend here hly favoured'

Miss Falkland turned towards hi like a queen, as she was, and says she--

'If you had met me in the last place where I saw this ratitude to both of them I should despise myself if I did not Poor Jim saved my life on one occasion, and on another, but far more dreadful day, he--but words, mere words, can never express my deep thankfulness for his noble conduct, and were he here noould tell hiive hie didn't say anything after that, and she swept out of the cell, followed by Mr Falkland and hiue in his head I expect she was a great heiress as well as a great beauty, and people of that sort, I've found, et listened to when they speak When the door shut I felt as if I'd seen the wings of an angel flit through it, and the prison grew darker and darker like the place of lost souls

Chapter 51

One day I was told that a lady wanted to see me When the door of the cell opened who should walk in but Aileen! I didn't look to have seen her I didn't botherWhat did it , who came or ent for the week or two that was to pass before the day? Yes, the day, that Thursday, when poor dick Marston would walk over the threshold of his cell, and never walk over one again

The warder--hiht--every man in the condemned cell has to be watched like that--stepped outside the door and left us together We both looked at one another She was dressed all in black, and her face was that pale I hardly knew her at first Then she said, 'Oh, dick--s herself into my arms How she cried and sobbed, to be sure The tears ran down her cheeks like rain, and every ti-irons rattled she shook and tre

I tried to comfort her; it was no use

'Let me cry on, dick,' she said; 'I have not shed a tear since I first heard the news--the miserable truth that has crushed all our vain hopes and fancies; my heart has nearly burst for want of relief This will do ood To think--to think that this should be the end of all! But it is just! I cannot dare to doubt Heaven'sas we all did--in sin--in htly'

She told me all about poor mother's death She never held up her head after she heard of Jim's death She never said a hard word about any one It was God's will, she thought, and only for His one worse The only pleasure she had in her last days was in petting Jim's boy He was a fine little chap, and had eyes like his father, poor old Jiether, and it was a while before she could speak again

Jeanie was the same as she had been from the first, only so quiet they could hardly kno e where she had been so happy with Jim, and liked to work in the chair opposite to where Jis Most of her friends lived in Melbourne, and she reckoned to stay there for the rest of her life