eness in the voice, and, looking upon the
girl, saw her eyes blazing with a terrible light.

'He is dead,' answered Graeme indifferently.

'You killed him?' she asked eagerly.

Graeme looked at her curiously, and answered slowly--

'I did not mean to. He came at me. I struck him harder than I knew. He
never moved.'

She drew a sigh of satisfaction, and waited.

'I got him to a private ward, had the best doctor in the city, and sent
for Craig to Victoria. For three days we thought he would live--he was
keen to get home; but by the time Craig came we had given up hope. Oh,
but I was thankful to see Craig come in, and the joy in the old man's
eyes was beautiful to see. There was no pain at last, and no fear. He
would not allow me to reproach myself, saying over and over, "You would
have done the same for me"--as I would, fast enough--"and it is better
me than you. I am old and done; you will do much good yet for the boys."
And he kept looking at me till I could only promise to do my best.

'But I am glad I told him how much good he had done me during the last
year, for he seemed to think that too good to be true. And when Craig
told him how he had helped the boys in the camp, and how Sandy and
Baptiste and the Campbells would always be better men for his life
among them, the old man's face actually shone, as if light were coming
through. And with surprise and joy he kept on saying, "Do you think
so? Do you think so? Perhaps so, perhaps so." At the last he talked of
Christmas night at the camp. You were there, you remember. Craig had
been holding a service, and something happened, I don't know what, but
they both knew.'

'I know,' I said, and I saw again the picture of the old man under the
pine, upon his knees in the snow, with his face turned up to the stars.

'Whatever it was, it was in his mind at the very last, and I can never
forget his face as he turned it to Craig. One hears of such things:
I had often, but had never put much faith in them; but joy, rapture,
triumph, these are what were in his face, as he said, his breath coming
short, "You said--He wouldn't--fail me--you were right--not once--not
once--He stuck to me--I'm glad he told me--thank God--for you--you
showed--me--I'll see Him--and--tell Him--" And Craig, kneeling beside
him so steady--I was behaving like a fool--smiled down through his
streaming tears into the dim eyes so brightly, till they could see no
more. Thank him for that! He helped the