“I think you are alarming yourself needlessly,” I answered.  “You know you are fidgety about your own health.  Let me prescribe for you.  Surely I know as much as Collas.”

“No, no, let me die,” he said, plaintively; “then you can all be happy.  I have robbed my only brother’s only child, who was dear to me as my own daughter.  I cannot hold up my head after that.  I should die gladly if you two were but reconciled to one another.”

By this time Julia’s hand had reached his, and was resting in it fondly.  I never knew a man gifted with such power over women and their susceptibilities as he had.  My mother herself would appear to forget all her unhappiness, if he only smiled upon her.

“My poor dear Julia!” he murmured; “my poor child!”

“Uncle,” she said, checking her sobs by a great effort, “if you imagine I should tell any one—­Johanna Carey even—­what you have done, you wrong me.  The name of Dobree is as dear to me as to Martin, and he was willing to marry a woman he detested in order to shield it.  No, you are quite safe from disgrace as far as I am concerned.”

“God in heaven bless you, my own Julia!” he ejaculated, fervently.  “I knew your noble nature; but it grieves me the more deeply that I have so thoughtlessly wronged you.  If I should live to get over this illness, I will explain it all to you.  It is not so bad as it seems.  But will you not be equally generous to Martin?  Cannot you forgive him as you do me?”

“Uncle,” she cried, “I could never, never marry a man who says he loves some one else more than me.”

Her face was hidden in the pillows, and my father stroked her head, glancing at me contemptuously at the same time.

“I should think not, my girl!” he said, in a soothing tone; “but Martin will very soon repent.  He is a fool just now, but he will be wise again presently.  He has known you too long not to know your worth.”

“Julia,” I said, “I do know how good you are.  You have always been generous, and you are so now.  I owe you as much gratitude as my father does, and any thing I can do to prove it I am ready to do this day.”

“Will you marry her before we leave Jersey?” asked my father.

“Yes,” I answered.

The word slipped from me almost unawares, yet I did not wish to retract it.  She was behaving so nobly and generously toward us both, that I was willing to do any thing to make her happy.

“Then, my love,” he said, “you hear what Martin promises.  All’s well that ends well.  Only make up your mind to put your proper pride away, and we shall all be as happy as we were before.”

“Never!” she cried, indignantly.  “I would not marry Martin here, hurriedly and furtively; no, not if you were dying, uncle!”

“But, Julia, if I were dying, and wished to see you united before my death!” he insinuated.  A sudden light broke upon me.  It was an ingenious plot—­one at which I could not help laughing, mad as I was.  Julia’s pride was to be saved, and an immediate marriage between us effected, under cover of my father’s dangerous illness.  I did smile, in spite of my anger, and he caught it, and smiled back again.  I think Julia became suspicious too.