And what an hour was that which succeeded!  Both Mr. Hardinge and Lucy passed quite half of it on their knees, engaged in silent prayer; for it was thought petitions uttered aloud might disturb the sick.  There were minutes in which the stillness of the tomb already reigned among us.  I am not enough of a physician to say whether the change that now came over my sister’s mind was the consequence of any shock received in that long, intense look at the wood, or whether it proceeded from the sinking of the system, and was connected with that mysterious link which binds the immortal part of our being so closely to the material, until the tie is loosened forever.  It is certain, however, that Grace’s thoughts wandered; and, while they never lost entirely their leaning towards faith and a bright Christian hope, they became tinctured with something allied to childish simplicity, if not absolutely to mental weakness.  Nevertheless, there was a moral beauty about Grace, that no failing of the faculties could ever totally eradicate.

It was fully half an hour that the breathing quiet of prayer lasted.  In all that time my sister scarcely stirred, her own hands being clasped together, and her eyes occasionally lifted to heaven.  At length she seemed to revive a little, and to observe external objects.  In the end, she spoke.

“Lucy, dearest,” she said, “what has become of Rupert?  Does he know I am dying?  If so, why does he not come and see me, for the last time?”

It is scarcely necessary for me to say how much Lucy and myself were startled at this question.  The former buried her face in her hands without making any reply; but good Mr. Hardinge, altogether unconscious of anything’s being wrong, was eager to exculpate his son.

“Rupert has been sent for, my dear child,” he said, “and, though he is engrossed with love and Miss Merton, he will not fail to hasten hither the instant he receives my letter.”

“Miss Merton!” repeated Grace, pressing both her hands on her temples—­“who is she?  I do not remember anybody of that name?”

We now understood that the mind of the dear patient was losing its powers; of course no efforts were made to give a truer direction to her thoughts.  We could only listen, and weep.  Presently, Grace passed an arm round the neck of Lucy, and drew her towards her, with a childish earnestness.

“Lucy, love,” she continued—­“we will persuade these foolish boys from this notion of going to sea.  What if Miles’s father, and Rupert’s great-grand-father were sailors; it is no reason they should be sailors too!”

She paused, appeared to meditate, and turned towards me.  Her head was still inclining on my bosom, and she gazed upwards at my face, as fondly as she did in that tender meeting we held just after my return home, in the family room.  There was sufficient strength to enable her to raise her pallid but not emaciated hand to my face, even while she passed it over my cheeks, once more parting the curls on my temples, and playing with my hair, with infantile fondness.