e　at　first　really　loved　her；　and　love；　curbing　the　worst　part　of　him；　brought　to　him；　as　it　brings　to　all　of　us；　that　gentleness　and　abnegation　of　self　which　is　the　only　token　and　assurance　of　a　love　aught　but　animalSylvia's　fears　and　doubts　melted　away；　as　the　mists　melt　in　the　beams　of　morning。　　A　young　girl；　with　passionate　fancy；　with　honest　and　noble　aspiration；　but　with　the　dark　shadow　of　her　early　mental　sickness　brooding　upon　her　childlike　nature；　Marriage　made　her　a　woman；　by　developing　in　her　a　woman's　trust　and　pride　in　the　man　to　whom　she　had　voluntarily　given　herself。　Yet　by…and…by　out　of　this　sentiment　arose　a　new　and　strange　source　of　anxiety。　Having　accepted　her　position　as　a　wife；　and　put　away　from　her　all　doubts　as　to　her　own　capacity　for　loving　the　man　to　whom　she　had　allied　herself；　she　began　to　be　haunted　by　a　dread　lest　he　might　do　something　which　would　lessen　the　affection　she　bore　him。　　On　one　or　two　occasions　she　had　been　forced　to　confess　that　her　husband　was　more　of　an　egotist　than　she　cared　to　think。　　He　demanded　of　her　no　great　sacrifices　had　he　done　so　she　would　have　found；　in　making　them；　the　pleasure　that　women　of　her　nature　always　find　in　such　self…mortificationbut　he　now　and　then　intruded　on　her　that　disregard　for　the　feeling　of　others　which　was　part　of　his　character。　　He　was　fond　of　heralmost　too　passionately　fond；　for　her　staider　likingbut　he　was　unused　to　thwart　his　own　will　in　anything；　least　of　all　in　those　seeming　trifles；　for　the　consideration　of　which　true　selfishness　bethinks　itself。　　Did　she　want　to　read　when　he　wanted　to　walk；　he　good…humouredly　put　aside　her　book；　with　an　assumption　that　a　walk　with　him　must；　of　necessity；　be　the　most　pleasing　thing　in　the　world。　Did　she　want　to　walk　when　he　wanted　to　rest；　he　laughingly　set　up　his　laziness　as　an　all…sufficient　plea　for　her　remaining　within　doors。　　He　was　at　no　pains　to　conceal　his　weariness　when　she　read　her　favourite　books　to　him。　If　he　felt　sleepy　when　she　sang　or　played；　he　slept　without　apology。　If　she　talked　about　a　subject　in　which　he　took　no　interest；　he　turned　the　conversation　remorselessly。　　He　would　not　have　wittingly　offended　her；　but　it　seemed　to　him　natural　to　yawn　when　he　was　weary；　to　sleep　when　he　was　fatigued；　and　to　talk　only　about　those　subjects　which　interested　him。　　Had　anybody　told　him　that　he　was　selfish；　he　would　have　been　astonished。　　Thus　it　came　about　that　Sylvia　one　day　discovered　that　she　led　two　livesone　in　the　body；　and　one　in　the　spiritand　that　with　her　spiritual　existence　her　husband　had　no　share。　　This　discovery　alarmed　her；　but　then　she　smiled　at　it。　　〃As　if　Maurice　could　be　expected　to　take　interest　in　all　my　silly　fancies；〃　said　she；　and；　despite　a　harassing　thought　that　these　same　fancies　were　not　foolish；　but　were　the　best　and　brightest　portion　of　her；　she　succeeded　in　overcoming　her　uneasiness。　〃A　man's　thoughts　are　different　from　a　woman's；〃　she　said；　〃he　has　his　business　and　his　worldly　cares；　of　which　a　woman　knows　nothing。　I　must　comfort　him；　and　not　worry　him　with　my　follies。〃
  As　for　Maurice；　he　grew　sometimes　rather　troubled　in　his　mind。　He　could　not　understand　his　wife。　　Her　nature　was　an　enigma　to　him；　her　mind　was　a　puzzle　which　would　not　be　pieced　together　with　the　rectangular　correctness　of　ordinary　life。　　He　had　known　her　from　a　child；　had　loved　her　from　a　child；　and　had　committed　a　mean　and　cruel　crime　to　obtain　her；　but　having　got　her；　he　was　no　nearer　to　the　mystery　of　her　than　before。　　She　was　all　his　own；　he　thought。　　Her　golden　hair　was　for　his　fingers；　her　lips　were　for　his　caress；　her　eyes　looked　love　upon　him　alone。　　Yet　there　were　times　when　her　lips　were　cold　to　his　kisses；　and　her　eyes　looked　disdainfully　upon　his　coarser　passion。　　He　would　catch　her　musing　when　he　spoke　to　her；　much　as　she　would　catch　him　sleeping　when　she　read　to　himbut　she　awoke　with　a　start　and　a　blush　at　her　forgetfulness；　which　he　never　did。　　He　was　not　a　man　to　brood　over　these　things；　and；　after　some　reflective　pipes　and　ineffectual　rubbings　of　his　head；　he　〃gave　it　up〃。　　How　was　it　possible；　indeed；　for　him　to　solve　the　mental　enigma　when　the　woman　herself　was　to　him　a　physical　riddle？　It　was　extraordinary　that　the　child　he　had　seen　growing　up　by　his　side　day　by　day　should　be　a　young　woman　with　little　secrets；　now　to　be　revealed　to　him　for　the　first　time。　　He　found　that　she　had　a　mole　on　her　neck；　and　remembered　that　he　had　noticed　it　when　she　was　a　child。　Then　it　was　a　thing　of　no　moment；　now　it　was　a　marvellous　discovery。　He　was　in　daily　wonderment　at　the　treasure　he　had　obtained。　　He　marvelled　at　her　feminine　devices　of　dress　and　adornment。　　Her　dainty　garments　seemed　to　him　perfumed　with　the　odour　of　sanctity。
  The　fact　was　that　the　patron　of　Sarah　Purfoy　had　not　met　with　many　virtuous　women；　and　had　but　just　discovered　what　a　dainty　morsel　Modesty　was。
  CHAPTER　XVIII。
  IN　THE　HOSPITAL。
  The　hospital　of　Port　Arthur　was　not　a　cheerful　place；　but　to　the　tortured　and　unnerved　Rufus　Dawes　it　seemed　a　paradise。　　There　at　leastdespite　the　roughness　and　contempt　with　which　his　gaolers　ministered　to　him　he　felt　that　he　was　considered。　　There　at　least　he　was　free　from　the　enforced　companionship　of　the　men　whom　he　loathed；　and　to　whose　level　he　felt；　with　mental　agony　unspeakable；　that　he　was　daily　sinking。　Throughout　his　long　term　of　degradation　he　had；　as　yet；　aided　by　the　memory　of　his　sacrifice　and　his　love；　preserved　something　of　his　self…respect；　but　he　felt　that　he　could　not　preserve　it　long。　　Little　by　little　he　had　come　to　regard　himself　as　one　out　of　the　pale　of　love　and　mercy；　as　one　tormented　of　fortune；　plunged　into　a　deep　into　which　the　eye　of　Heaven　did　not　penetrate。　　Since　his　capture　in　the　garden　of　Hobart　Town；　he　had　given　loose　rein　to　his　rage　and　his　despair。　　〃I　am　forgotten　or　despised；　I　have　no　name　in　the　world；　what　matter　if　I　become　like　one　of　these？〃　　It　was　under　the　influence　of　this　feeling　that　he　had　picked　up　the　cat　at　the　command　of　Captain　Burgess。　As　the　unhappy　Kirkland　had　said；　〃As　well　you　as　another〃；　and　truly；　what　was　he　that　he　should　cherish　sentiments　of　honour　or　humanity？　But　he　had　miscalculated　his　own　capacity　for　evil。　　As　he　flogged；　he　blushed；　and　when　he　flung　down　the　cat　and　stripped　his　own　back　for　punishment；　he　felt　a　fierce　joy　in　the　thought　that　his　baseness　would　be　atoned　for　in　his　own　blood。　　Even　when；　unnerved　and　faint　from　the　hideous　ordeal；　he　flung　himself　upon　his　knees　in　the　cell；　he　regretted　only　the　impotent　ravings　that　the　torture　had　forced　from　him。　He　could　have　bitten　out　his　tongue　for　his　blasphemous　utterings　not　because　they　were　blasphemous；　but　because　their　utterance；　by　revealing　his　agony；　gave　their　triumph　to　his　tormentors。　When　North　found　him；　he　was　in　the　very　depth　of　this　abasement；　and　he　repulsed　his　comforternot　so　much　because　he　had　seen　him　flogged；　as　because　he　had　heard　him　cry。　　The　self…reliance　and　force　of　will　which　had　hitherto　sustained　him　through　his　self…imposed　trial　had　failed　himhe　feltat　the　moment　when　he　needed　it　most；　and　the　man　who　had　with　unflinched　front　faced　the　gallows；　the　desert；　and　the　sea；　confessed　his　debased　humanity　beneath　the　physical　torture　of　the　lash。　　He　had　been　flogged　before；　and　had　wept　in　secret　at　his　degradation；　but　he　now　for　the　first　time　comprehended　how　terrible　that　degradation　might　be　made；　for　he　realized　how　the　agony　of　the　wretched　body　can　force　the　soul　to　quit　its　last　poor　refuge　of　assumed　indifference；　and　confess　itself　conquered。
  Not　many　months　before；　one　of　the　companions　of　the　chain；　suffering　under　Burgess's　tender　mercies；　had　killed　his　mate　when　at　work　with　him；　and；　carrying　the　body　on　his　back　to　the　nearest　gang；　had　surrendered　himselfgoing　to　his　death　thanking　God　he　had　at　last　found　a　way　of　escape　from　his　miseries；　which　no　one　would　envy　him　save　his　comrades。　　The　heart　of　Dawes　had　been　filled　with　horror　at　a　deed　so　bloody；　and　he　had；　with　others；　commented　on　the　cowardice　of　the　man　that　would　thus　shirk　the　responsibility　of　that　state　of　life　in　which　it　had　pleased　man　and　the　devil　to　place　him。　　Now　he　understood　how　and　why　the　crime　had　been　committed；　and　felt　only　pity。　Lying　awake　with　back　that　burned　beneath　its　lotioned　rags；　when　lights　were　low；　in　the　breathful　silence　of　the　hospital；　he　registered　in　his　heart　a　terrible　oath　that　he　would　die　ere　he　would　again　be　made　such　hideous　sport　for　his　enemies。　　In　this　frame　of　mind；　with　such　shreds　of　honour　and　worth　as　had　formerly　clung　to　him　blown　away　in　the　whirlwind　of　his　passion；　he　bethought　him　of　the　strange　man　who　had　deigned　to　clasp　his　hand　and　call　him　〃brother〃。　He　had　wept　no　unmanly　tears　at　this　sudden　flow　of　tenderness　in　one　whom　he　had　thought　as　callous　as　the　rest。　　He　had　been　touched　with　wondrous　sympathy　at　the　confession　of　weakness　made　to　him；　in　a　moment　when　his　own　weakness　had　overcome　him　to　his　shame。　Soothed　by　the　brief　rest　that　his　fortnight　of　hospital　seclusion　had　afforded　him；　he　had　begun；　in　a　languid　and　speculative　way；　to　turn　his　thoughts　to　religion。　　He　had　read　of　martyrs　who　had　borne　agonies　unspeakable；　upheld　by　their　confidence　in　Heaven　a