and was blank until daybreak. Another time, it stopped as
he was beating time to their singing, and went on again when he and his
partner were walking in the court-yard by the light of the moon, half the
night later. He asked Vendale (always full of consideration, work, and
help) how this was? Vendale only replied, "You have not been quite well;
that's all." He looked for explanation into the faces of his people. But
they would put it off with "Glad to see you looking so much better, sir;"
or "Hope you're doing nicely now, sir;" in which was no information at
all.

At length, when the partnership was but five months old, Walter Wilding
took to his bed, and his housekeeper became his nurse.

"Lying here, perhaps you will not mind my calling you Sally, Mrs.
Goldstraw?" said the poor wine-merchant.

"It sounds more natural to me, sir, than any other name, and I like it
better."

"Thank you, Sally. I think, Sally, I must of late have been subject to
fits. Is that so, Sally? Don't mind telling me now."

"It has happened, sir."

"Ah! That is the explanation!" he quietly remarked. "Mr. Obenreizer,
Sally, talks of the world being so small that it is not strange how often
the same people come together, and come together at various places, and
in various stages of life. But it does seem strange, Sally, that I
should, as I may say, come round to the Foundling to die."

He extended his hand to her, and she gently took it.

"You are not going to die, dear Mr. Wilding."

"So Mr. Bintrey said, but I think he was wrong. The old child-feeling is
coming back upon me, Sally. The old hush and rest, as I used to fall
asleep."

After an interval he said, in a placid voice, "Please kiss me, Nurse,"
and, it was evident, believed himself to be lying in the old Dormitory.

As she had been used to bend over the fatherless and motherless children,
Sally bent over the fatherless and motherless man, and put her lips to
his forehead, murmuring:

"God bless you!"

"God bless you!" he replied, in the same tone.

After another interval, he opened his eyes in his own character, and
said: "Don't move me, Sally, because of what I am going to say; I lie
quite easily. I think my time is come, I don't know how it may appear to
you, Sally, but--"

Insensibility fell upon him for a few minutes; he emerged from it once
more.

"--I don't know how it may appear to you, Sally, but so it appears to
me."

When he had thus conscien