umptive, do proceed
in their attempts to overthrow our pure Reformed church, depend on it,
young man, that that woman will not be found wanting in the hour of
trial. But for the matter in hand, will you be godfather to the person
now to be received into the ark?"

I told him I could not burden my conscience with so great and
important duties, without some assurance that I should be able to
fulfil them. Whereto he replied, that such scrupulosities, however
praiseworthy in calmer times, ought now to yield to the paramount
consideration of saving a soul alive.

A faint voice, proceeding from the bed, was here heard mournfully
asking if the ceremony was now to begin, for death was near at hand.

I went up to the bed and saw the face of a pale dying woman, whose
eyes, albeit they encountered mine, had no sense of sight in them, for
the shadows of the Great King were already settled upon her
countenance. "Begin then," I said to the clergyman; and on a motion
from him, the woman who had conducted me went out, and shortly
returned, leading by the hand a child of two, or haply three years of
age, exceeding beautiful to look on, and dressed in the same style of
outlandish apparel as her conductor. I had little time to look
attentively at her, for her hand was put into mine, while the other
was held by the Egyptian (as I still call her, notwithstanding I knew
she was a devout woman), and another person, whom I guessed to be an
attendant on the sick lady, stationed herself near; whereupon the
clergyman commenced from our book of common prayer the form of
baptism. The lady seemed to acquire strength at the sound of his low
solemn voice, and half raised herself in the bed, and looked anxiously
towards where we were; when the name was given, which was Lucy
Hesseltine, she stretched herself back on her pillow with a faint
smile. The ceremony was soon over, and the Egyptian took the new
Christian to the side of the bed, and whispered in the lady's ear,
"Jessica, the child is now one of the Christian flock; she prays your
blessing." She waited for an answer, during which time the clergyman
took me apart, and had again entered into discourse. But the Egyptian
came to us. "Hush!" she said, "the ways of God are inscrutable; our
friend is gone to her account." Hereupon she hurried me through the
same passages by which we had come, and bidding me God-speed at the
hidden door of my chamber, told me to keep what I had seen a secret
from all