it seemed, than we had ever been before. A sudden loud knock startled
us both. Then two men entered, one of whom drew a paper from his
pocket, declaring, as he did so, that you were arrested at the
instance of Mr. Jasper, who accused you with having robbed him of a
large amount of money."

"Why, Edith!" ejaculated Edward Claire, in a voice of painful
surprise. He, too, had been dreaming, and in his dream he had done
what his heart prompted him to do on the previous evening--to act
unfaithfully toward his employer.

"Oh, it was dreadful! dreadful!" continued Edith. "Rudely they seized
and bore you away. Then came the trial. Oh, I see it all as plainly
as if it had been real. You, my good, true, noble-hearted husband,
who had never wronged another, even in thought--you were accused
of robbery in the presence of hundreds, and positive witnesses were
brought forward to prove the terrible charge. All they alleged was
believed by those who heard. The judges pronounced you guilty, and
then sentenced you to a gloomy prison. They were bearing you off,
when, in my agony, I awoke. It was terrible, terrible! yet, thank God!
only a dream, a fearful dream!"

Claire drew his arms around his young wife, and clasped her with a
straining embrace to his bosom. He made no answer for some time. The
relation of a dream so singular, under the circumstances, had startled
him, and he almost feared to trust his voice in response. At length,
with a deeply-drawn, sighing breath, nature's spontaneous struggle for
relief, he said--

"Yes, dear, that was a fearful dream. The thought of it makes me