“My heart’s wishes and blessings be with you both,” he said.  “I have so many times thought of some such thing, and longed to see it accomplished.  There may be clouds athwart your path, but there will be sunshine behind the cloud.  Joan, thou hast chosen thy knight worthily and well.  It may be that men will never call him knight.  It may be that he will not have trophies rich and rare to lay at thy feet.  But thou and I know well that there is a knighthood not of this world, and in that order of chivalry his spurs have already been won, and he will not, with thee at his side, ever be tempted to forget his high and holy calling.  For thou wilt be the guiding star of his life; and thou too art dedicated to serve.”

There was silence for a few moments in the quiet room.  John lay back on his pillows panting somewhat, and with that strange unearthly light they had seen there before deepening in his eyes.  They had observed that look often of late —­ as though he saw right through them and beyond to a glory unspeakable, shut out for the time from their view.  Joan put out her hand and took that of Raymond, as if there was assurance in the warm human clasp.  But their eyes were still fixed upon John’s face, which was changing every moment.

He had done much to form both their minds, this weakly scion of the De Brocas house, whose life was held by those who bore his name to be nothing but a failure.  It was from him they had both imbibed those thoughts and aspirations which had been the first link drawing them together, and which had culminated in an act of the highest self-sacrifice and devotion.  And now it seemed to him, as he lay there looking at them, the two beings upon earth that he loved the best (for Raymond was more to him than a brother, and Joan the one woman whom, had things gone otherwise with him, he would fain have made his wife), that he might well leave his work in their hands —­ that they would carry on to completion the nameless labour of love which he had learned to look upon as the highest form of chivalry.

“Raymond,” he said faintly.

Raymond came and bent down over him.

“I am close beside thee, John.”

“I know it.  I feel it.  I am very happy.  Raymond, thou wilt not forget me?”

“Never, John, never.”

“I have been very happy in thy brotherly love and friendship.  It has been very sweet to me.  Raymond, thou wilt not forget thy vow?  Thou wilt ever be true to that higher life that we have spoken of so oft together?”

Raymond’s face was full of deep and steadfast purpose.

“I will be faithful, I will be true,” he answered.  “God helping me, I will be true to the vow we have made together.  Joan shall be my witness now, as I make it anew to thee here.”

“Not for fame or glory or praise of man alone,” murmured John, his voice growing fainter and fainter, “but first for the glory of God and His honour, and then for the poor, the feeble, the helpless, the needy.  To be a champion to such as have none to help them, to succour the distressed, to comfort the mourner, to free those who are wrongfully oppressed, even though kings be the oppressors —­ that is the true courage, the true chivalry; that is the service to which thou, my brother, art pledged.”