She begged me over and over again to say how grieved she was for you.'

'Poor dear Gage is always so kind!' replied Audrey calmly. 'Mother dear,
should you mind my going to bed now? My head aches so, and I am so
tired!'

Then Mrs. Ross attended her daughter to her room, and did not leave her
until her weary head was on the pillow.

'I should like to stay,' she said, looking at her child with yearning
eyes; 'but I suppose you would rather be alone.'

'Yes, mother dear;' and then she drew her mother's face down to hers and
kissed it tenderly. 'Dearest, you are so good to me, and so is Michael.'

'Who could help being good to you, Audrey?'

'Yes; but you must not be too kind to me. One must not let one's
unhappiness spoil other people's lives. I want to be as brave as he was.
Will you draw up the blind, mother dear? It is such a beautiful
moonlight night.' And, as Mrs. Ross did as she was asked, Audrey raised
herself upon her elbow. 'Oh, how calm and lovely it looks! Even the
housetops are transfigured and glorified. Oh, mother, it is all as it
should be! Cyril said so; and he is safe in his Father's house--in his
Father's and mine!' she half whispered to herself, as she sank back on
the pillow again.

CHAPTER XLVII

A STRANGE EXPIATION

'When some beloved voice that was to you
Both sound and sweetness faileth suddenly,
And silence against which you dare not cry
Aches round you like a strong disease and new,
What hope? what help?...
...Nay, none of these.
Speak, Thou availing Christ! and fill this pause.'

MRS. BROWNING.

Mrs. Ross soon discovered that Audrey wished to remain in town until the
funeral was over, and she at once wrote off to her husband for the
required permission.

Dr. Ross made no objection; he meant to be present himself at the
funeral, and as he had some important business that would detain him
another day or so in London, he suggested that they should accompany him
back to Woodcote.

Audrey seemed satisfied when she had read her father's letter. He had
sent her a message that touched her greatly.

'I hope our child will not grieve over-much,' he wrote. 'Tell her that
her father sympathises with her most fully. By and by she will read the
meaning of this painful lesson. As for poor Cyril, one can only long to
change places with him. His was a short and fiery trial, but at least he
was spar