he
could. Then suddenly a sound from behind startled her. She turned, her
trance shaken off in an instant, and saw Robert sitting up in bed.

For a moment her lover, her husband, of the early day was before her--as
she ran to him. But he did not see her.

An ecstasy of joy was on his face; the whole man bent forward listening.

'_The child's cry!--thank God! Oh! Meyrick--Catherine--thank God!_'

And she knew that he stood again on the stairs at Murewell in that
September night which gave them their first born, and that he thanked
God because her pain was over.

An instant's strained looking, and, sinking back into her arms, he gave
two or three gasping breaths, and died.

Five days later Flaxman and Rose brought Catherine home. It was supposed
that she would return to her mother at Burwood. Instead, she settled
down again in London, and not one of those whom Robert Elsmere had loved
was forgotten by his widow. Every Sunday morning, with her child beside
her, she worshipped in the old ways; every Sunday afternoon saw her
black-veiled figure sitting motionless in a corner of the Elgood Street
Hall. In the week she gave all her time and money to the various works
of charity which he had started. But she held her peace. Many were
grateful to her; some loved her; none understood her. She lived for one
hope only; and the years passed all too slowly.

The New Brotherhood still exists, and grows. There are many who imagined
that as it had been raised out of the earth by Elsmere's genius, so
it would sink with him. Not so! He would have fought the struggle to
victory with surpassing force, with a brilliancy and rapidity none after
him could rival. But the struggle was not his. His effort was but a
fraction of the effort of the race. In that effort, and in the Divine
force behind it, is our trust, as was his.

Others, I doubt not, if not we,
The issue of our toils shall see;
And (they forgotten and unknown)
Young children gather as their own
The harvest that the dead had sown.

THE END

End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Robert Elsmere, by Mrs. Humphry Ward

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