Cruel As The Grave

"Then you found a ship?" she inquired, with so much more than usual

anxiety in her expression, that he looked up in painful surprise as he

replied to her question.

"Yes, dear; I have found a ship that will suit us. It is the

'Enterprise,' Captain Wright, bound for Liverpool within a few days."

"Oh! I wish it were to-morrow," sighed Sybil.

"Why, love, what is the matter?" tenderly inquired her husband, taking

her hand, and looking into her face.

"That is the matter," replied Sybil, with a shudder, as she took the

volume she had been reading from the chimney piece and put it in his

hands.

It was a work with which Lyon Berners, as a law student, had been very

familiar.

"Why, where did you get this?" he inquired in a tone of annoyance, for

he felt at once what its effect upon Sybil's mind must be.

"Oh, I found it behind the looking-glass in the other room."

"Left by some traveller, I suppose. I am sorry, Sybil, that you have

chanced upon this work; but you must not let its subject influence you

to despondency."

"Oh, Lyon! how can I help it? I was so strong and cheerful in my sense

of innocence, I had no idea how guiltless people could be convicted and

executed as criminals."

"My darling Sybil, all these cases that you have read were tried in the

last century, a period of judicial barbarism. Courts of justice are more

enlightened and humane now, in our times. They do not sacrifice sacred

life upon slight grounds. Come, take courage! be cheerful! trust in God,

and all will be well."

"I do trust in the Lord, and I know all will be well; but oh! I wish it

were to-morrow that ship is to sail?" answered Sybil.

"It will sail very soon, dear. And now we had better go to rest, and try

to get some sleep. In my character of market farmer, I have to be up

very early in the morning to attend to my business, you know," said Lyon

with a smile.

Sybil acquiesced, and the fugitive couple retired for the night.

Bodily fatigue so much overcame mental anxiety, that they slept

profoundly, and continued to sleep until near daylight, when they were

both aroused by a loud knocking at the door.

"Oh, for Heaven's sake, who is that?" gasped Sybil, starting up in

affright, for every knock now, scared her with the thought of sheriff's

officers armed with a warrant for her arrest, and excited a whole train

of prospective horrors.

"Hush, darling, hush; it is only one of the men about the place waking

me up, according to orders, to be in time for the market. We must keep

up our assumed characters, my dear Sybil," said Mr. Berners, as the

knocking was repeated, accompanied by the calls of, "Farmer! farmer!"