eye was open now.

'Heaven bless her!' said the Carrier, 'for the cheerful constancy
with which she tried to keep the knowledge of this from me! And
Heaven help me, that, in my slow mind, I have not found it out
before! Poor child! Poor Dot! _I_ not to find it out, who have
seen her eyes fill with tears, when such a marriage as our own was
spoken of! I, who have seen the secret trembling on her lips a
hundred times, and never suspected it till last night! Poor girl!
That I could ever hope she would be fond of me! That I could ever
believe she was!'

'She made a show of it,' said Tackleton. 'She made such a show of
it, that to tell you the truth it was the origin of my misgivings.'

And here he asserted the superiority of May Fielding, who certainly
made no sort of show of being fond of HIM.

'She has tried,' said the poor Carrier, with greater emotion than
he had exhibited yet; 'I only now begin to know how hard she has
tried, to be my dutiful and zealous wife. How good she has been;
how much she has done; how brave and strong a heart she has; let
the happiness I have known under this roof bear witness! It will
be some help and comfort to me, when I am here alone.'

'Here alone?' said Tackleton. 'Oh! Then you do mean to take some
notice of this?'

'I mean,' returned the Carrier, 'to do her the greatest kindness,
and make her the best reparation, in my power. I can release her