mary trembled from head to foot.

at last--it might hāve been a quarter of an hour, it might hāve been anhour--he lifted himself up. his eyes were swollen and bloodshot, and heseemed to hāve forgotten that any one was by; he scowled at thewatchers when he saw them. he shook himself heāvily, gāve them onemore sullen look, spoke never a word, but made for the door.

\"oh, father, father!\" said mary, throwing herself upon his arm,--\"not tonight!

any night but to-night. oh, help me! he\"s going out to drinkagain! father, i\"ll not leāve yo\". yo\" may strike, but i\"ll not leāve yo\". shetold me last of all to keep yo\" fro\" drink!\"

but margaret stood in the doorway, silent yet manding. he looked

up at her defyingly.

\"it\"s my own house. stand out o\" the way, wench, or i\"ll make yo\"!\" hehad shaken off mary with violence; he looked ready to strike margaret.

but she never moved a feature--never took her deep, serious eyes offhim. he stared back on her with gloomy fierceness. if she had stirredhand or foot, he would hāve thrust her aside with even more violencethan he had used to his own daughter, whose face was bleeding fromher fall against a chair.

\"what are yo\" looking at me in that way for?\" asked he at last, dauntedand awed by her severe calm. \"if yo\" think for to keep me from goingwhat gait i choose, because she loved yo\"--and in my own house, too,where i never asked yo\" to e, yo\"re mista\"en. it\"s very hard upon aman that he can\"t go to the only fort left.\"

margaret felt that he acknowledged her power. what could she do next?

he had seated himself on a chair, close to the door; half-conquered, half-resenting; intending to go out as soon as she left her position, butunwilling to use the violence he had threatened not five minutes before.

margaret laid her hand on his arm.

\"e with me,\" she said. \"e and see her!\"

the voice in which she spoke was very low and solemn; but there wasno fear or doubt expressed in it, either of him or of his pliance. hesullenly rose up. he stood uncertain, with dogged irresolution upon hisface. she waited him there; quietly and patiently waited for his time tomove. he had a strange pleasure in making her wait; but at last hemoved towards the stairs.

she and he stood by the corpse.

\"her last words to mary were, \"keep my father fro\" drink.\"\"

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