They looked breathlessly at Arthur, and he spoke again.

“I will not describe to you what we found when we entered the prison.  Enough that one would not herd one’s swine in such a place.  Two out of the three were dying; and the third, though sick as you now see him, was yet dragging himself from one to the other, to minister to their still greater needs, as he had done from the first, giving to them of his own meagre food and water—­neither of which was fit for human beings to touch—­and enduring all the slow agonies of fevered thirst day after day, that their in some way be lightened.

“Sumner lived to tell us that.  From the first Radley had sickened, as the strong men ofttimes do in such places more quickly than the weaker and feebler of body.  Clarke, who had brought his body into subjection by fasting, who had nursed the sick in their filthy homes, and spent weeks at times in fever-stricken spots—­he resisted longest the ravages of the fell prison fever.  He and Sumner nursed Radley as best they might.  Then Sumner fell sick, and Clarke had them both to care for.

“To the very last he tended them.  Though well nigh in as evil a case, he yet would rise and crawl to them, and give them food and water, or moisten their lips when they could no longer eat the coarse prison fare.  His patience and sweetness were not quite without effect even on the jailer, and from time to time he would bring them better food and a larger measure of water.

“But even so, there was none to help or succour them in their hour of extremest need.  May God look down and judge the things which pass upon this earth, and are done by those who take His name freely upon their lips!  He whose eyes see all things have seen those three men in their prison house.  May He be the judge of all things!”

“Thank God you came in time!” spoke Magdalen, with streaming eyes.  “Thank God they did not die in that foul hole!”

“I do thank Him for that.  I fear me poor Radley did not know that release for him had come; his greater release followed so hard afterwards.  But Sumner lived long enough to know us, and to rejoice in the hope that Clarke’s life would be spared.  We did not tell him how little chance there was of that.  ’He is one of God’s saints upon earth,’ were amongst his last words; ’surely He has a great work for him to do here.  Afterwards he will walk with Him in white, for he is worthy.’  And then in broken words he told us the story of those weeks in prison; and with a happy smile upon his lips he passed away.  He did not desire aught else for himself.  He left Clarke in the hands of his friends.  He folded his hands together and whispered, ‘Say the Nunc dimittis for me, and the last prayer;’ and as we did so his soul took flight.  The smile of holy triumph and joy was sealed by death upon his face.”

“Faithful unto death,” whispered Freda softly to herself, “he has won for himself a crown of life.”