had helped to lead me to the fancy
for surrounding my own sick bed with all the circumstances I had seen
and heard of in such cases in the village. For this reason I had (to
her hardly concealed distress) given Nurse Bundle, from time to time,
directions as to my wishes in the event of my death. I remember
especially, that I begged she would not fail to cover up all the
furniture with white cloths, and to allow all my friends to come and
see me in my coffin. Thus also I groaned and said "Amen"--"like a poor
person"--at what I deemed suitable points, as the rector prayed.

He was not less wise in a sick room than Mrs. Bundle herself. He
contrived to quieten instead of exciting me, and to the sound of his
melodious voice reading in soothing monotone from my favourite book of
the Bible--the Revelation of St. John the Divine--I finally fell
asleep.

When the inspired description of the New Jerusalem ended, and my own
dream began, I never knew. As I dreamed, it seemed a wonderful and
beautiful vision, though all that I could ever remember of it in
waking hours was the sheerest nonsense.

And this was the beginning of my acquaintance with the Rev. Reginald
Andrewes.

CHAPTER X

CONVALESCENCE--MATRIMONIAL INTENTIONS--THE JOURNEY TO OAKFORD--OUR
WELCOME

On the day when I first left my sick room, and was moved to a sofa in
what had been my poor mother's boudoir, my father put fifty pounds
into Nurse Bundle's hand, and sent another fifty to Mr. Andrewes for
some communion vessels for the church, on which the rector had set his
heart. They were both thank-offerings.

"I owe my son's recovery to GOD, and to you, Mrs. Bundle," said my
father, with a certain elaborateness of speech to which he was given
on important occasions. "No money could purchase such care as you
bestowed on him, and no money can reward it; but it will be doing me a
farther favour to allow me to think that, should sickness ever
overtake yourself when we are no longer together, this little sum,
laid by, may come in useful, and afford you a few comforts."

That first evening of my convalescence we were quite jubilant; but
afterwards there were many weary days of weakness, irritability, and
_ennui_ on my part, and anxiety and disappointment on my father's.
Rubens was a great comfort at this period. For his winning ways formed
an interest, and served a little to vary the monotony of the hours
when I was too weak to bear any definite amusement or