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144 BLACK SHEEr.appearance with all his native impudence; forthough the element of suspicion, which lent hisinterest in Harriet something tragic, had diedout of it, that interest continued lively, but -hehad admitted that it was pardonable that sheshould look " precious blue and funky" after ajourney.But looking at her more attentively on thissecond occasion, ancl when there was no journeyin the case, Jim arrived at the conclusion thatwhatever had "ailed" Mrs. Routh before she lefthome ailed her still."Uncommon ill she do look, to be sure," hesaid to himself, as he crumpled up the excitingfiction wliich he hacl been reading, and yvhich" left off" at a peculiarly thrilling crisis, andwedged the illustratedjournal into his cap; "uncommonill. Wot's the good of all them bathsand things, if she's to come back lookin' like this— a deal worse, /call it, and much miserabler inher mind? Wotever ails her ?"At this point in his cogitations Jim began tomove on, slowly indeed, and keeping his eye onHamet, who had reached one of the gates of the