se to him;
"Ally! you are all right!" and then again, as Alured assured him he
would be better-- "No, I shan't; I'm so glad it wasn't you. I always
thought he'd do it some day, and now you're quite safe, I want to thank
God."

We did not understand those words then; we did soon.

The weak voice rambled on, "to thank God; but oh, it hurts so--I
can't--I will when I get there." Then presently "Mother!"

"She'll come very soon," said Alured.

"Mother! oh, mother! Trevorsham, don't let them know. O Trev, promise,
promise!"

"Promise what? I promise, whatever it is! Only tell me," entreated
Alured.

"Take care of her--of mother. Don't let--" and then his eyes met
Perrault's, and a shudder came all over him, which brought the end
nearer; and all another spoonful of brandy could do was to enable him
to say something in Alured's ear, and then a broken word or
two--"forgive--glad--pray;" and when we all knelt and Fulk did say the
Lord's Prayer, and a verse or two more, there was a peaceful loving
look at Fulk and Jaquetta and me, and then the whisper of the Name that
is above every name, as a glad brightness came over the face, and the
eyes looked upwards, and so grew set in their gaze, and there was the
sound one never can forget.

Nurse Rowe laid her hand on Alured's neck, as he knelt with his head
close to Trevor's. Fulk and I looked at each other, and we knew that
all was over.

They had tried in vain to check the bleeding. No one could have done
more than Arthur had done, but a main artery had been injured, and
nothing could have saved him. He had said nothing after the first cry,
except when he saw Alured's grief. "Never mind; I'm glad it was not
you." And once or twice, as they carried him home, he had begged to be
put down, though they durst not attend to the entreaty, and Arthur did
not think he had suffered much pain.

It jarred that just as we would have knelt for one silent prayer,
Perrault's voice broke on us. "Ah! poor boy, it is better than if it
lasted longer! I saw that half-witted fellow, Billy Blake about. So I
don't wonder at anything; but of course it was a mere accident, and I
shall not press it."

Scarcely hearing him, I had joined Mrs. Rowe in the endeavour to detach
Alured from his dear companion, when there was poor Hester among us,
with open horror-stricken eyes, and a wild, frightful shriek as she
leapt forward; and no words can describe the misery of her voice as she
call