InamomentSylviahadsprungupfromherseat，andwasrunningintosootheandcomforthermother\'stroubledfancies。Philipsateonbythewell—side，hisfaceburiedinhistwohands。Presentlyheliftedhimselfup，dranksomewatereagerlyoutofhishollowedpalm，sighed，andshookhimself，andfollowedhiscousinintothehouse。Sometimeshecameunexpectedlytothelimitsofhisinfluenceoverher。Ingeneralsheobeyedhisexpressedwisheswithgentleindifference，asifshehadnopreferencesofherown;onceortwicehefoundthatshewasdoingwhathedesiredoutofthespiritofobedience，which，ashermother\'sdaughter，shebelievedtobeherdutytowardsheraffiancedhusband。Andthislastmotiveforactiondepressedherlovermorethananything。HewantedtheoldSylviabackagain;captious，capricious，wilful，haughty，merry，charming。
Alas！thatSylviawasgoneforever。Butonceespeciallyhispower，arisingfromwhatevercause，wasstoppedentirelyshort——wasutterlyofnoavail。ItwasontheoccasionofDickSimpson\'smortalillness。Sylviaandhermotherkeptalooffromeveryone。TheyhadneverbeenintimatewithanyfamilybuttheCorneys，andeventhisfriendshiphadconsiderablycooledsinceMolly\'smarriage，andmostespeciallysinceKinraid\'ssupposeddeath，whenBessyCorneyandSylviahadbeen，asitwere，rivalmourners。Butmanypeople，bothinMonkshavenandthecountryroundabout，heldtheRobsonfamilyingreatrespect，althoughMrsRobsonherselfwasaccounted\'high\'
and\'distant;\'andpoorlittleSylvia，inherheydayofbeautifulyouthandhighspirits，hadbeenspokenofas\'abitflighty，\'and\'aset—uplassie。\'Still，whentheirgreatsorrowfelluponthem，therewereplentyoffriendstosympathizedeeplywiththem;and，asDanielhadsufferedinapopularcause，therewereevenmorewho，scarcelyknowingthempersonally，werereadytogivethemallthemarksofrespectandfriendlyfeelingintheirpower。ButneitherBellnorSylviawereawareofthis。Theformerhadlostallperceptionofwhatwasnotimmediatelybeforeher;thelattershrankfromallencountersofanykindwithasoreheart，andsensitiveavoidanceofeverythingthatcouldmakeherasubjectofremark。SothepoorafflictedpeopleatHaytersbankknewlittleofMonkshavennews。WhatlittledidcometotheirearscamethroughDollyReid，whenshereturnedfromsellingthefarmproduceoftheweek;andoften，indeed，eventhenshefoundSylviatoomuchabsorbedinothercaresorthoughtstolistentohergossip。SonoonehadevernamedthatSimpsonwassupposedtobedyingtillPhilipbeganonthesubjectoneevening。Sylvia\'sfacesuddenlyflashedintoglowandlife。\'He\'sdying，ishe？t\'earthiswellridonsuchafellow！\'\'Eh，Sylvie，that\'sahardspeecho\'thine！\'saidPhilip;\'itgivesmebutpoorhearttoaskafavourofthee！\'\'Ifit\'saughtaboutSimpson，\'repliedshe，andthensheinterruptedherself。
\'Butsayon;itwereill—manneredinmefort\'interruptyo\'。\'\'Thouwouldbesorrytoseehim，Ithink，Sylvie。Hecannotgetovertheway，t\'folkmethim，andpeltedhimwhenhecamebackfra\'York，——andhe\'sweakandfaint，andbesidehimselfattimes;andhe\'lllieadreaming，anda—fancyingthey\'reallathimagain，hooting，andyelling，andpeltinghim。\'\'I\'mgladon\'t，\'saidSylvia;\'it\'st\'bestnewsI\'veheeredformanyaday，——he，toturnagain\'feyther，whogavehimmoneyfot\'getalodgingthatnight，whenhe\'dnoplacetogoto。Itwerehisevidenceashungfeyther;
andhe\'srightlypunishedforitnow。\'\'Fora\'that，——andhe\'sdoneavasto\'wrongbeside，he\'sdyingnow，Sylvie！\'\'Well！lethimdie——it\'st\'bestthinghecoulddo！\'\'Buthe\'slyingi\'suchdreepoverty，——andniverafriendtogonearhim，——niverapersontospeakakindwordt\'him。\'\'Itseemsasyo\'vebeenspeakingwi\'him，atanyrate，\'saidSylvia，turningroundonPhilip。\'Ay。HesentformebyNellManning，th\'oldbeggar—woman，whosometimesgoesinandmakeshisbedforhim，poorwretch，——he\'slyingint\'ruinsofth\'cow—houseofth\'Mariners\'Arms，Sylvie。\'\'Well！\'saidshe，inthesamehard，drytone。\'AndIwentandfetchedth\'parishdoctor，forIthoughthe\'dha\'diedbeforemyface，——hewassowan，andashen—grey，sothin，too，hiseyesseempushedoutofhisbonyface。\'\'Thatlasttime——feyther\'seyeswerestarting，wild—like，andasifhecouldn\'tmeetours，orbearthesightonourweeping。\'Itwasabadlook—outforPhilip\'spurpose;butafterapausehewentbravelyon。\'He\'sapoordyingcreature，anyhow。T\'doctorsaidso，andtoldhimhehadn\'tmanyhours，letalonedays，tolive。\'\'Andhe\'dshrinkfra\'dyingwi\'a\'hissinsonhishead？\'saidSylvia，almostexultingly。Philipshookhishead。\'Hesaidthisworldhadbeentoostrongforhim，andmentooharduponhim;hecouldniverdoanygoodhere，andhethoughtheshould，maybe，findfolksi\'t\'nextplacemoremerciful。\'\'He\'llmeetfeythertheere，\'saidSylvia，stillhardandbitter。\'He\'sapoorignorantcreature，anddoesn\'tseemtoknowrightlywhohe\'sliketomeet;onlyheseemsgladtogetawayfra\'Monkshavenfolks;hewerereallyhurt，Iamafeared，thatnight，Sylvie，——andhespeaksasifhe\'dhadhardtimesofiteversincehewereachild，——andhetalksasifhewerereallygrievedfort\'partt\'lawyersmadehimtakeatth\'trial，——theymadehimspeak，againsthiswill，hesays。\'\'Couldn\'theha\'bittenhistongueout？\'askedSylvia。\'It\'sfinetalkingo\'sorrowwhenthethingisdone！\'\'Well，anyhowhe\'ssorrynow;andhe\'snotlongfortolive。And，Sylvie，hebidmeaskthee，if，forthesakeofallthatisdeartotheebothhere，andi\'th\'worldtocome，thou\'dgowi\'me，andjustsaytohimthatthouforgiveshimhispartthatday。\'\'Hesenttheeonthaterrand，didhe？Andthoucouldcomeandaskme？I\'veamindtobreakitoffforiverwi\'thee，Philip。\'Shekeptgasping，asifshecouldnotsayanymore。Philipwatchedandwaitedtillherbreathcame，hisownhalfchoked。\'Theeandmewasnivermeanttogotogether。It\'snotinmetoforgive，——I