revelations, was in itself an excitement in which life wasted fast.

But in this, as in so many human affairs, forethought was useless; and
the course of events, over which so many weary hours of calculation had
been spent, was already tending in a direction wholly unthought of and
unexpected. The first indication of this was the increasing illness of
Christian.

When Mr. Strafford returned to Moose Island, after his second stay at
Cacouna, he had begged Elton, the kind-hearted jailer, to send word to
Mrs. Costello if any decided change took place in the prisoner before
his return; and as she was known to be his friend and correspondent,
this attracted no remark, and was readily promised. A little more than a
fortnight before the expected trial, Elton himself came one day to the
Cottage, and asked for Mrs. Costello. She received him with an alarm
difficult to conceal, and, guessing his errand, asked at once if he had
a worse account of his prisoner to send to Mr. Strafford?

"Well, ma'am," he answered, "I don't know whether to call it a worse
account or not, considering all things; but he is certainly very ill,
poor creature."

"What is it? Anything new, or only an increase of weakness?"

"Just that, ma'am. Always a fever, and every day less strength to stand
against it. The doctor says he can't last long in the way he's going
on."

"And can _nothing_ be done?"