ading away before her eyes. Yet there was a sweet and
noble resignation in her anguish; there was a deep and genuine spirit of
submission to the will of heaven, and a perfect faith in God's love,
whatever might be the issue, in every prayer she breathed, as with
clasped hands, and streaming eyes, and moving lips, she gazed upon his
face. He might appear dull and heavy to others, but to her he was dear
beyond all thought; and now she was to lose him. In her inmost heart
she knew that she _must_ suffer that great pang; that God was taking to
Himself the son who had been so good and true to her, so affectionate,
so sweet-tempered, so unselfish, that even from his gentle and quiet
infancy he had never by his conduct caused her a moment's pain. She had
long been looking forward to the strong and upright manhood which should
follow this pure boyhood; but that dear boy was not destined to be the
staff of her declining years; _her_ hands were to close his eyes in the
last long sleep, and she was to pass alone under the overshadowing rocks
that close around the valley of human life. God help the mother's heart
who must pass through scenes like this!

Poor Daubeny could not sleep. Brain fever is usually accompanied by
delirium, and as he turned restlessly upon his pillow, his mind began to
wander away to other days and scenes.

"Stupid, sir? yes, I know I am, but I can't help it; I've really done my
best. I was up at five o'clock this morning, trying, trying so hard to
learn this repetition. Indeed, indeed, I'm not idle, sir. I'll try to
do my duty if I can. O Power, I wish I were like you; you learn so
quickly, and you never get abused as I do after it all."

And then the poor boy fancied himself sitting under the gas-lamp in the
passage as he had so often done, and trying to master one of his
repetition lessons, repeating the lines fast to himself as he used to
do--

"`Hac arte Pollux et vagus Hercules,
Enisus--enisus arces--enisus arces attigit igneas,
Quos inter Augustus--'

"How _does_ it go on?

"`Hac arte Pollux et vagus Hercules,
Enisus arces attigit igneas, attigit igneas,
Quos inter Augustus recumbens--'"

"Oh, what _does_ come next?" and he stopped with an expression of pain
on his face, pressing his hands tight over his brow. "Don't go on with
the repetition, Johnny, dear," said the poor mother. "I'm sure you know
it enough now."

"O, no! not yet, mother; I shall be turned, I know I