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About three o'clock in the afternoon, Mr. Packard came the second time to my room, and as he had allowed me to be in his company only during the interview I had with the Doctor, during the two days and nights he had been in the Asylum, I felt it to be a privilege to accept of his invitation to go to the reception-room and have a talk with him there.

I accordingly took his arm, without its being offered, and walked out of the hall. As we passed on, I heard some one remark:

"See! that lady is not alienated from her husband. See how kindly she takes her husband's arm."

I seated myself by his side on the sofa, when he said:

"I am going to leave for Manteno in about one hour, and I did not know but that you would like to have a talk with me before I left."

"Then you are determined to leave your wife in an Insane Asylum! Oh, husband! how can you do so?"

I then burst into tears.

"I hoped we should have a pleasant interview before we parted."

"Pleasant! How could it be pleasant to leave me in such a place? And do you think it will be pleasant for me to be left? Only think of those dear motherless children!"

"I shall see that they are well taken care of."

"But you cannot give them a mother's care. Oh how can my children live without their mother! And how can I live without my children!"

As this strong maternal feeling of my nature came welling up into such a high pitch of intensity, it seemed as if my heart would burst with anguish, at this hitherto unaccepted thought. I arose, and, with my handkerchief to my face, I walked the room back and forth, at the same time begging and pleading in the most plaintive, expressive terms, that he would commute my sentence of banishment, so far as not to separate me from my children.

"Oh, do be entreated in some way, to allow me this one favor, and my grateful, thankful heart will bless you forever. Oh, it will kill me to be separated from those dear ones! My babe! Oh, what will become of him! and what will become of me without my babe? Oh, husband, do! do! let me return with you to my children! You know I have always been a kind and faithful mother and wife, too, and now, how can you treat me so?"

For some time I walked the room, giving utterance to such and similar expressions, without raising my eyes, or noticing the effect my plea was having upon him; but after a long pause, and vainly watching for his reply for some time, I looked up to see why he did not speak to me, when lo! what did I see?

My husband sound asleep on the sofa, nodding his head!

In astonishment, I indignantly exclaimed:

"Oh husband! Are you asleep? Can you sleep when your wife is in such agony?"

The emphatic tones of my voice brought him back to consciousness, when he raised his head, and opening his eyes, replied:

"I can't keep awake; I have been broken of my rest."

"I see it is of no use to say anything more -- it will avail nothing. We may as well part now as ever."

Saying this, I walked up to him and extended to him my hand, and as I did so, I said:

"Farewell, husband, forever! May our next meeting be in the spirit land; and if there you find yourself in need of help to rise to a higher plane, remember there is one spirit in the universe, who is willing to descend to any depth of misery, to help you on to a higher plane, if this can be done -- and this spirit is your Elizabeth. Farewell, husband, forever!"

"I am sorry to hear you talk so; I hoped we should have a pleasant parting."

This was our parting scene!

Now, let me introduce to my reader a scene in the Doctor's office, which succeeded this. Leaving me in the reception room, he repaired to the office, to take his leave of the Doctor.

Now, it was his turn to cry!

Availing himself of this right, he now burst into a flood of tears, which so choked his utterance, it was some minutes before he could articulate at all, when he at length exclaimed:

"How I pity my wife! How hard it is to leave her here! Oh, if I only were not obliged to do so, how gladly I would take her home! She is such a good wife, how can I part with her? But I must do so, hard as it is, for her good."

Thus he went on, acting this part of the drama to perfection. Indeed, so well, and adroitly did he act the husband, that the intelligent Dr. McFarland himself was deluded into the belief that he was sincere, and that these were the tears of true sorrow and affection.

Alluding to this scene months afterwards, he remarked:

"I never saw a man so deeply afflicted, and even heartbroken, as Mr. Packard was at parting with you. He was the most heart-broken man I ever saw. If ever a man manifested true affection for his wife, it was Mr. Packard."

Yes, he so completely psychologized the Doctor into the feeling that he loved me most devotedly, and was compelled, in spite of himself, to incarcerate me, that the Doctor felt certain there had been a justifiable cause for my having been brought there.

Satisfied that his work was now well done, he took his leave of the Doctor, and his tears at the same time! and with a light heart and quick step, passed out on to the porch, where he stopped to give me one look of satisfied delight, that he had finally completely triumphed, in getting me imprisoned beyond all hope of deliverance.