myownblessedboy!“Shewastooweaktobeangrylong；herwrathsankawaytofeeblesobbingandworn-outmoans。Marywasmostanxioustosootheherfromanyviolenceofeithergrieforanger；shedidsowanthertobeclearinherrecollection；and，besides，hertendernesswasgreattowardsJem’smother。Soshespokeinalowgentletonethelovingsentences，whichsoundsobrokenandpowerlessinrepetition，andwhichyethavesomuchpower，whenaccompaniedwithcaressinglooksandactions，freshfromtheheart；andtheoldwomaninsensiblygaveherselfuptotheinfluenceofthosesweet，lovingblueeyes，thosetearsofsympathy，thosewordsofloveandhope，andwaslulledintoalessmorbidstateofmind。“Andnow，dearMrsWilson，canyourememberwherehesaidhewasgoingonThursdaynight？HewasoutwhenAlicewastakenill；andhedidnotcomehometillearlyinthemorning，or，tospeaktrue，inthenightdidhe？““Aye!hewentoutnearuponfive；hewentoutwithWill；hesaidheweregoingtosethimapartoftheway，forWillwerehotuponwalkingtoLiverpool，andwouldn’thearkentoJem’sofferoflendinghimfiveshillingsforhisfare。Sothetwoladssetofftogether。Iminditallnowbut，thouseest，Alice’sillness，andthisbusinessofpoorJem’s，droveitoutofmyhead；
theywentofftogether，towalktoLiverpool；that’stosay，Jemweretogoaparto’th’way。But，whoknows“fallingbackintotheolddespondingtone“ifhereallywent？Hemightbeledoffontheroad。Oh!Mary，wench!
they’llhanghimforwhathe’sneverdone。“No，theywon’t，theyshan’t!Iseemywayabitnow。WemungetWilltohelp；there’llbetime。HecanswearthatJemwerewithhim。WhereisJem？““FolksaidheweretakentoKirkdale，i’th’prisonvanthismorning；withoutmyseeinghim，poorchap!Oh!wench!butthey’vehurriedonthebusinessatacruelrate。““Aye，they’venotletgrassgrowundertheirfeet，inhuntingoutthemanthatdidit，“saidMary，sorrow-fullyandbitterly。“Butkeepupyourheart。
TheygotonthewrongscentwhentheytooktosuspectingJem。Don’tbeafeard。You’llseeitwillendrightforJem。““IshouldminditlessifIcoulddoaught，“saidJaneWilson；“butI’msuchapoorweakoldbody，andmyhead’ssogone，andI’msodazedlike，whatwithAliceandall，thatIthinkandthink，andcandonoughttohelpmychild。Imighthagoneandseenhimlastnight，theytellmenow，andthenImissedit。Oh!Mary，Imissedit；andImayneverseetheladagain。“ShelookedsopiteouslyinMary’sfacewithhermiserableeyes，thatMaryfeltherheartgivingway，and，dreadingtheweaknessofherpowers，whichtheburstofcryingshelongedforwouldoccasion，hastilychangedthesubjecttoAlice；andJane，inherheart，feelingthattherewasnosorrowlikeamother’ssorrow，replied，“Shekeepsonmuchthesame，thankyou。She’shappy，forsheknowsnothingofwhat’sgoingon；butth’doctorsaysshegrowsweakerandweaker。Thou’ltmaybeliketoseeher？“Marywentup-stairs：partlybecauseitistheetiquetteinhumblelife，tooffertofriendsalastopportunityofseeingthedyingorthedead，whilethesameetiquetteforbidsarefusaloftheinvitation；andpartlybecauseshelongedtobreathe，foraninstant，theatmosphereofholycalm，whichseemedevertosurroundthepiousgoodoldwoman。Alicelay，asbefore，withoutpain，oratleastanyoutwardexpressionofit；buttotallyunconsciousofallpresentcircumstances，andabsorbedinrecollectionsofthedaysofhergirlhood，whichwerevividenoughtotaketheplaceofrealitytoher。Stillshetalkedofgreenfields，andstillshespoketothelong-deadmotherandsister，low-lyingintheirgravesthismanyayear，asiftheywerewithherandabouther，inthepleasantplaceswhereheryouthhadpassed。Butthevoicewasfainter，themotionsweremorelanguid；shewasevidentlypassingaway；buthowhappily!Marystoodforatimeinsilence，watchingandlistening。ThenshebentdownandreverentlykissedAlice’scheek；anddrawingJaneWilsonawayfromthebed，asifthespiritofherwholaytherewereyetcognizantofpresentrealities，shewhisperedafewwordsofhopetothepoormother，andkissingheroverandoveragaininawarm，lovingmanner，shebadehergood-bye，wentafewsteps，andthenoncemorecamebacktobidherkeepupherheart。Andwhenshehadfairlyleftthehouse，JaneWilsonfeltasifasunbeamhadceasedshiningintotheroom。Yetoh!howsorelyMary’sheartached；formoreandmorethefellcertaintycameonherthatherfatherwasthemurderer!Shestruggledhardnottodwellonthisconviction；tothinkaloneonthemeansofprovingJem’sinnocence；thatwasherfirstduty，andthatshouldbedone。
AndmustitthendependonthispooreyeAndthisunsteadyhand，whetherthebark，Thatbearsmyalloftreasuredhopeandlove，ShallfindapassagethroughthesefrowningrocksTosomefairportwherepeaceandsafetysmile，——Orwhetheritshallblindlydashagainstthem，Andmiserablysink？Heavenbemyhelp；Andclearmyeye，andnervemytremblinghand!TheConstantWoman。Herheartbeating，herheadfullofideas，whichrequiredtimeandsolitudetobereducedintoorder，Maryhurriedhome。Shewaslikeonewhofindsajewelofwhichhecannotallatonceascertainthevalue，butwhohideshistreasureuntilsomequiethourwhenhemayponderoverthecaabilitiesitspossessionunfolds。Shewaslikeonewhodiscoversthesilkencluewhichguidestosomebowerofbliss，andsecureofthepowerwithinhisgrasp，hastowaitforatimebeforehemaythreadthelabyrinth。Butnojewel，nobowerofblisswaseversoprecioustomiserorloveraswasthebeliefwhichnowpervadedMary’smind，thatJem’sinnocencemightbeproved，withoutinvolvinganysuspicionofthatother——thatdearone，sodear，althoughsocriminal——onwhosepartinthiscruel，businessshedarednotdwelleveninthought。Forifshedid，therearosetheawfulquestion，——ifallwentagainstJemtheinnocent，ifjudgeandjurygavetheverdictforthwhichhadtheloominggallowsintherear，whatoughtshetodo，possessedofherterribleknowledge？Surelynottoinculpateherfather——andyet——andyet——shealmostprayedfortheblessedunconsciousnessofdeathormadness，ratherthanthatawfulquestionshouldhavetobeansweredbyher。Butnowawayseemedopening，openingyetmoreclear。ShewasthankfulshehadthoughtofthealibiandyetmorethankfultohavesoeasilyobtainedthecluetoJem’swhereaboutsthatmiserablenight，Thebrightlightthathernewhopethrewoverall，seemedalsotomakeherthankfulfortheearlytimeappointedforthetrial。ItwouldbeeasytocatchWillWilsononhisreturnfromtheIsleofMan，whichhehadplannedshouldbeontheMonday；andontheTuesdayallwouldbemadeclear——allthatshedaredtowishtobemadeclear。ShehadstilltocollectherthoughtsandfreshenhermemoryenoughtoarrangehowtomeetwithWill——fortothechancesofalettershewouldnottrust；tofindouthislodgingswheninLiverpool；totryandrememberthenameoftheshipinwhichhewastosail；andthemoresheconsideredthesepoints，themoredifficultyshefoundtherewouldbeinascertainingtheseminorbutimportantfacts。ForyouareawarethatAlice，whosememorywasclearandstrongonallpointsinwhichherheartwasinterested，waslyinginamannersenseless：thatJaneWilsonwastouseherownword，soexpressivetoaLancashireear“dazed，“thatistosay，bewildered，lostintheconfusionofterrifyinganddistressingthoughts；incapableofconcentratinghermind；andatthebestoftimesWill’sproceedingswereamatteroflittleimportancetoherorsoshepretended，shewassojealousofaughtwhichdistractedattentionfromherpearlofprice，heronlysonJem。SoMaryfelthopelessofobtaininganyintelligenceofthesailor’sarrangementsfromher。Then，shouldsheapplytoJemhimself？No!sheknewhimtoowell。Shefelthowthoroughlyhemusterenowhavehaditinhispowertoexculpatehimselfatanother’sexpense。Andhistacitrefusalsotodo，hadassuredherofwhatshehadneverdoubted，thatthemurdererwassafefromanyimpeachmentofhis。Butthenneitherwouldheconsent，shefeared，toanystepswhichmighttendtoprovehimselfinnocent。Atanyrate，shecouldnotconsulthim。HewasremovedtoKirkdale，andtimepressed。AlreadyitwasSaturdayatnoon。Andevenifshecouldhavegonetohim，Ibelieveshewouldnot。