end," answered Stephen with a smile.
"There is one other thing, and that is living. A man may give his life
in a sudden spurt of courage and enthusiasm. It is something more to
see him spend his life in patient well-doing through many years. That
is the harder of the two to most."

"Maybe it is," assented Roscius. "I see now why you were so anxious
about old Haldane."

"Ay, we owed her no little. And I cannot but think she had some notion,
poor soul! of what was coming: she was in such haste to get us off by
dawn. If I had known--"

"Eh, what could you have done if you had?" responded Roscius. "Wigan
told me there were hundreds in the crowd."

"Nothing, perchance," answered Stephen sadly. "Well! the good Lord knew
best, and He ordered matters both for us and her."

"Wigan said he thought she had been forewarned--I know not why."

"Ay, I think some one must have given her a hint. That was why she sent
us off so early."

"I say, Stephen," asked Roscius rather uneasily, "what think you did
become of that cat of hers? The thing was never seen after she died--
not once. It looks queer, you know."

"Does it?" said Stephen, with a little laugh.

"Why, yes! I don't want to think any ill of the poor old soul--not I,
indeed: but never to be seen once afterwards--it _does_ look queer. Do
you think Sathanas took the creature?"

"Not without I am Sathanas. That terrible cat that so troubles you,
Roscius, sits purring on my hearth at this very moment."

"You! Why, did you take the thing with you?"

"We did. It came away in Ermine's arms."

"Eh, Saint Frideswide be our aid! I wouldn't have touched it for a
king's ransom."

"I've touched it a good few times," said Stephen, laughing, "and it
never did aught worse to me than rub itself against me and mew. Why,
surely, man! you're not feared of a cat?"

"No, not of a real cat; but that--"

"It is just as real a cat as any other. My children play with it every
day; and if you'll bring your little maids, I'll lay you a good venison
pasty that they are petting it before they've been in the house a
Paternoster. Trust a girl for that! Ah, yes! that was one reason why I
thought she had some fancy of what was coming--the poor soul begged us
to take old Gib. He'd been her only companion for years, and she did
not want him ill-used. Poor, gentle, kindly soul! Ermine will be
grieved to hear of her end."

"Tell Ermine I'll come to see her," said Leuesa,