On reaching Cavanagh's, he found that family over-+shadowed with a gloom for which he could not account.
Kathleen received him gravely, and even Hanna had not her accustomed jest.

After looking around him for a little, he exclaimed--"What is the matther?
Is anything wrong?
You all look as if you were in sorrow." Hanna approached him and said, whilst her eyes filled with tears--"We are in sorrow, Bryan; for we are goin', we doubt, to lose a friend that we all love--as every one did that knew her." "Hanna, darling," said Kathleen, "this won't do.

Poor girl! you are likely to make bad worse; and besides there may, after all, be no real danger.

Your mother, Bryan," she proceeded, "is much worse than she has been.

The priest and doctor have been sent for; but you know it doesn't follow that there is danger, or at any rate that the case is hopeless." "Oh, my God!" exclaimed Bryan, "is it so?
My mother--and such a mother! Kathleen, my heart this minute tells me it is hopeless.