“Very true, poor Miles; very true,” Mr. Hardinge added, in an apologetic manner; “I see the weakness of my comparison, though I was beginning to hope you were already regarding Lucy, once more, with the eyes of a brother.  But Rupert must not be forgotten neither; and here is my letter already written.”

“It will be too late, sir,” I got out, hoarsely—­“my sister cannot survive the day.”

I perceived that Mr. Hardinge was not prepared for this, his cheek grew pale, and his hand trembled as he sealed the epistle.  Still he sent it, as I afterwards discovered.

“God’s will be done!” the excellent divine murmured.  “If such should really be his holy will, we ought not to mourn that another humble Christian spirit is called away to the presence of its great Creator!  Rupert can, at least, attend, to do honour to all that we can honour of the saint we lose.”

There was no resisting or contending with so much simplicity and goodness of heart; and, had it been in my power, a summons to the room of Grace called all my thoughts to her.  My sister’s eyes were now open.  I shuddered, felt a sinking of the heart like that produced by despair, as I caught their unearthly or rather their supernatural expression.  It was not that anything which indicated death in its more shocking aspects met my look, but simply that I could trace the illumination of a spirit that already felt itself on the eve of a new state of being, and one that must at least separate all that remained behind from any further communication with itself.  I am not certain that I felt no pang at the thought my sister could be entirely happy without any participation on my part in her bliss.  We are all so selfish that it is hard to say how far even our most innocent longings are free from the taint of this feature of our nature.

But Grace, herself, could not entirely shake off the ties of kindred and human love so long as her spirit continued in its earthly tenement.  So far from this, every glance she cast on one or all of us denoted the fathomless tenderness of her nature, and was filled with its undying affection.  She was weak, frightfully so I fancied; for death appeared to hasten in order to release her as swiftly and easily as possible; yet did her interest in me and in Lucy sustain her sufficiently to enable her to impart much that she wished to say.  In obedience to a sign from her, I knelt at her side, and received her head on my bosom, as near as possible in that attitude in which we had already passed hours since her illness.  Mr. Hardinge hovered over us, like a ministering spirit, uttering in a suppressed and yet distinct voice, some of the sublimest of those passages from scripture that are the most replete with consolation to the parting spirit.  As for Lucy, to me she seemed to be precisely in that spot where she was most wanted; and often did Grace’s eyes turn towards her with gleamings of gratitude and love.

“The hour is near, brother,” Grace whispered, as she lay on my bosom.  “Remember, I die asking forgiveness as much for those who may have done me wrong, as for myself.  Forget nothing that you have promised me; do nothing to cause Lucy and her father sorrow.”