Sydney first.

"Try to thank Mrs. Linley," he said.

She answered faintly: "I can't speak!"

He appealed to his wife next. "Say a last kind word to her," he
pleaded.

She made an effort, a vain effort to obey him. A gesture of
despair answered for her as Sydney had answered: "I can't speak!"

True, nobly true, to the Christian virtue that repents, to the
Christian virtue that forgives, those three persons stood
together on the brink of separation, and forced their frail
humanity to suffer and submit.

In mercy to the woman, Linley summoned the courage to part them.
He turned to his wife first.

"I may say, Catherine, that she has your good wishes for happier
days to come?"

Mrs. Linley pressed his hand.

He approached Sydney, and gave his wife's message. It was in his
heart to add something equally kind on his own part. He could
only say what we have all said--how sincerely, how sorrowfully,
we all know--the common word, "Good-by!"--the common wish, "God
bless you!"