course of the grand old Greek dramatists,--that would be the thing to
set her up. She could not fail to be interested and charmed."

The Countess next applied to Father Warner.

"The damsel does look pale, Lady. What wonder, when she has not
confessed for over a fortnight? Get her well shriven, and you will see
she will be another maiden."

"She sighs, indeed, my Lady; and I do not think she sleeps well," said
Levina, who was the third authority. "It strikes me, under my Lady's
pleasure, that she would be the better for a change."

This meant, that Levina was tired of Bury Saint Edmund's.

"Oh, there's nothing the matter with her!" said Eva, testily. "She
never takes things to heart as I do. She'll do well enough."

"Lady, I am very uneasy about dear Margaret," was Doucebelle's
contribution. "I am sure she is ill, and unhappy too. I only wish I
knew what to do for her."

Beatrice looked up with grave eyes. "Lady, I would so gladly say No!
But I cannot do it."

The last person interrogated was Bruno; and by the time she came to him,
the Countess was very low-spirited. His face went grave and sad.

"Lady, it never does good to shut one's eyes to the truth. It is worse
pain in the end. Yes: the damsel Margaret is dying."

"Dying!" shrieked the unhappy mother. "Dying, Father Bruno! You said
_dying_!"

"Too true, my Lady."

"But what can I do? How am I to stop it?"

"Ah!" said Bruno, softly, as if to himself. "There is a `Talitha Cumi'
from the other side too. The Healer is on that side now. Lady, He has
called her. In her face, her voice, her very smile, it is only too
plain that she has heard His voice. And there is no possibility of
disobeying it, whether it call the living to death, or the dead to
life."

"But how am I to help it?" repeated the poor Countess.

"You cannot help it. Suffer her to rise and go to Him. Let us only do
our utmost to make sure that it is to Him she is going."

"Oh, if it be so, would it be possible to have her spared the pains of
Purgatory? Father, I would think it indeed a light matter to give every
penny and every jewel that I have!"

"Do so, if it will comfort you. But for her, leave her in His hands
without whom not a sparrow falleth. Lady, He loves her better than
you."

"Better? It is not possible! I would die for her!"

"He has died for her," answered Bruno, softly. "And He is the Amen, the
Living One for ever: and He hath the keys of