ie; and Joanna in her piety, her goodness, her great love
for her father, her exquisite kindness for Harry Jardine, did ask God if
He sought a life, in His justice and mercy, to allow hers to pay for
Harry's, to substitute her in some way for Harry; and Joanna well
remembered that prayer afterwards.

Joanna was beginning to cower and fail in her trial. Suddenly she shook
herself up, when she was lapsing into a heap nearly as passive as that
beside her; a suggestion darted across her brain; she detected in the
little pocket of her dress a bottle of a strong essence and perfume,
which Polly Musgrave had forced upon her the day she left.

Joanna was quick and clear in following out a notion. With trembling
fingers she poured the hot, stimulating, subtle liquid into her hollow
hands, and bathed his forehead. She unloosed his cravat, and sent the
warm stream over his throat and chest, rubbing them with her free hand,
while she supported his head on the other arm; and inspired with fresh
courage and trust she called anew this time a shrill, echoing call, and
Harry Jardine shivered, sobbed, and stretched himself, and slowly opened
his sealed eyes, looking her first vaguely and then wonderingly in the
face, and her father's and Lilias's voices rose from opposite sides of
the heath, near and far in reply. "What is it, Joanna? What has kept
you? What has happened? We missed you; we were getting anxious; we are
coming, coming!"

IV.--MERCY AND NOT SACRIFICE.

Harry Jardine was taken to the Ewes some hours before his mother, who
had happily been deceived as to his return on the previous night, was
even apprised of his narrow escape. He received the greatest kindness
from the Crawfurds, and his mother herself found it incumbent on her to
write a little note to the Ewes, thanking the family for their humanity
and benevolence towards her son. It is possible, had Mrs. Jardine been
awakened to her son's danger a little sooner, and before its traces were
entirely blotted out, the expressions in the note might have been a few
shades less general and cold.

Mr. Crawfurd excused her fully. He would not have expected Harry to come
back to the Ewes, though he rejoiced, from the bottom of his heart, that
Joanna had served the young fellow. How much his poor father would have
been delighted in him? Mr. Crawfurd rejoiced, although he was too
righteous and humble-minded to say to himself that God was appeased, or
that He had permitted this