stole back into the cheeks of the squire, and hope returned to
his heart. Death had not arrived as he had feared; he was still
living. The night was passed, the morning was come, and the prophecy
of the mysterious voice was not accomplished. His family gathered
about him, and with smiles congratulated him, advising him to take his
rest, now the danger was past. But how could he rest after such a
night, such an upturning of all the cherished thoughts and aims of his
life, such a revelation of the poverty of riches? He chose rather to
walk abroad, and with thoughtful face and slow steps proceeded towards
the village. There he heard that Death had indeed been a visitor in
one house during the night, but instead of appearing in his own grand
mansion, he had entered the poorest cottage in the place--the old
stone-breaker had died during the night. With a still more thoughtful
face he returned home, for his heart smote him. He remembered the old
man's simple dinner; he saw again the uplifted face, on which God's
sunshine rested in a double sense; he heard again the words of his
thankful prayer, and his own laugh of derision, and he was again
humiliated, but this time to better purpose.

His wife met him at the threshold of his house, with a smiling face,
glad to see him once more, "clothed and in his right mind," for she,
too, had feared for his reason. She accompanied him in, and then, when
seated at his side, gently chided him for his last night's fears, and
what she called "superstitious fancies." "I hope now," she added, "you
are quite satisfied that there was no truth in what that mysterious
voice told you. The night is past, and you are alive, and as well as
ever."

"True, my dear," he replied, "the night is past, and I am alive and
well. But nevertheless the richest man in the parish _has_ died. If
you will take the trouble to inquire in the village, you will find it
is so."

"How is that?" she asked, and as she spoke she looked round somewhat
proudly, as though a rival to her grandeur had appeared. "Who can be
richer here than you?"

"The man who can say to God, 'Whom have I in heaven but thee, and
there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.' I cannot say
that, for I have desired many things and persons besides God, and
almost all things more than God. But there was a poor stone-breaker
alive yesterday, who in possessing God possessed all things. I call
him poor after the manner of the world, but he was