been and shall be a glory to me."

"Loved indeed, my darling."

"Though there might have been such a heaven of joy, even that shall
be counted as much. It shall be to me during my future life as though
when wandering through the green fields in some long-past day, I had
met a bright angel from another world; and the angel had stopped to
speak to me, and had surrounded me with her glorious wings, and had
given me of her heavenly light, and had spoken to me with the music
of the spheres, and I had thought that she would stay with me for
ever. But there had come a noise of the drums and a sound of the
trumpets, and she had flown away from me up to her own abode. To have
been so favoured, though it had been but for an hour, should suffice
for a man's life. I will bear it, though it be in solitude."

"No, darling; not in solitude."

"It will be best so for me. The light and the music and the azure of
the wings will so remain with me the purer and the brighter. Oh,--if
it had been! But I will bear it. No ear shall again hear a sound of
complaint. Not yours even, my darling, my own, mine for so short a
time, but yet my very own for ever and ever." Then he fell on his
knees beside her, and hid his face in her dress, while the fingers
of both her hands rambled through his hair. "You are going," he said,
when he rose up to his feet, "you are going whither I cannot go."

"You will come; you will come to me."

"You are going now, now soon, and I doubt not that you are going to
joys inexpressible. I cannot go till some chance may take me. If it
be given to you in that further world to see those and to think of
those whom you have left below, then, if my heart be true to your
heart, keep your heart true to mine. If I can fancy that, if I
can believe that it is so, then shall I have that angel with me,
and though my eyes may not see the tints, my ears will hear the
music;--and though the glory be not palpable as is the light of
heaven, there will be an inner glory in which my soul will be
sanctified." After that there were not many words spoken between
them, though he remained there till he was disturbed by the Quaker's
coming. Part of the time she slept with her hand in his, and when
awake she was contented to feel his touch as he folded the scarf
close round her neck and straightened the shawl which lay across
her feet, and now and again stroked her hair and put it back behind
her ears as it strayed upon her forehead. Ever a