not a morsel worse."

Valentine paused and heard John speak again in that peculiar tone--"I
have no hope, Swan."

"I wouldn't give up, sir, if I was you: allers hold on to hope, sir."

"I cannot stand the strain much longer," he continued, as if he had not
listened, "but sometimes--my thoughts are often confused--but sometimes
I feel some slight relief in prayer."

"Ay, sir," answered Swan, "the Scripture says, 'Knock, and it shall be
opened to you,' and I've allers thought it was mighty easier for one
that begs to go and knock there than anywhere else, for in that house
the Master opens the door himself."

CHAPTER XXXI.

A WOMAN'S SYMPATHY.

"Midsummer night, not dark, not light.
Dusk all the scented air,
I'll e'en go forth to one I love,
And learn how he doth fare.
O the ring, the ring, my dear, for me,
The ring was a world too fine,
I wish it had sunk in a forty-fathom sea,
Or ever thou mad'st it mine.

"Soft falls the dew, stars tremble through,
Where lone he sits apart,
Would I might steal his grief away
To hide in mine own heart.
Would, would 'twere shut in yon blossom fair,
The sorrow that bows thy head,
Then--I would gather it, to thee unaware,
And break my heart in thy stead.

"That charmed flower, far from thy bower,
I'd bear the long hours through,
Thou should'st forget, and my sad breast
The sorrows twain should rue.
O sad flower, O sad, sad ring to me.
The ring was a world too fine;
And would it had sunk in a forty-fathom sea,
Ere the morn that made it mine."

Ten o'clock on the succeeding night. It seemed an age to John Mortimer
since Valentine had met him in the hall, a night and a day that were
almost a lifetime had come between; but his thoughts were not confused
now. Something awful but fresh, breaking across his distracted mind, had
diverted the torrent of his despairing fear lest his child should die
through his mistake, and though he had bowed down his head and wept
since the unexpected loss of another, those were healing tears, for with
them came for a time escape from the rending strain that was breaking
him down.

A sudden noise, when all was so quiet, and some one running down the
garden, had startled him.

He tried to recall it. Valentine was with him, having just come back
from the town, and one of the doctors was coming u