With trembling fingers the poor woman obeyed.

And the dying mother held her child to her heart, and raised her glazing eyes full of the agony of human love to Heaven, and prayed: 

“O pitiful Lord, look down in mercy on this poor, poor babe!  Take him under thy care!” And with this prayer she sank into insensibility.

Hannah flew to the door and beckoned Herman.  He came in, the living image of despair.  And both went and stood by the bed.  They dared not break the sacred spell by speech.  They gazed upon her in silent awe.

Her face was gray and rigid; her eyes were still and stony; her breath and pulse were stopped.  Was she gone?  No, for suddenly upon that face of death a great light dawned, irradiating it with angelic beauty and glory; and once more with awful solemnity deep bell-like tones tolled forth the notes.

“Out of the depths have I called to Thee
And Thou hast heard my voice.”

And with these holy words upon her lips the gentle spirit of Nora Worth, ruined maiden but innocent mother, winged its way to heaven.

CHAPTER XIII.

THE FLIGHT OF HERMAN.

  Tread softly—­bow the head—­
  In reverent silence bow;
  There’s one in that poor shed,
  One by that humble bed,
        Greater than thou!

  Oh, change!  Stupendous change! 
  Fled the immortal one! 
  A moment here, so low,
  So agonized, and now—­
        Beyond the sun!

  —­Caroline Bowles.

For some time Hannah Worth and Herman Brudenell remained standing by the bedside, and gazing in awful silence upon the beautiful clay extended before them, upon which the spirit in parting had left the impress of its last earthly smile!

Then the bitter grief of the bereaved woman burst through all outward restraints, and she threw herself upon the bed and clasped the dead body of her sister to her breast, and broke into a tempest of tears and sobs and lamentations.

“Oh, Nora! my darling! are you really dead and gone from me forever?  Shall I never hear the sound of your light step coming in, nor meet the beamings of your soft eyes, nor feel your warm arms around my neck, nor listen to your coaxing voice, pleading for some little indulgence which half the time I refused you?

“How could I have refused you, my darling, anything, hard-hearted that I was!  Ah! how little did I think how soon you would be taken from me, and I should never be able to give you anything more!  Oh, Nora, come back to me, and I will give you everything I have—­yes, my eyes, and my life, and my soul, if they could bring you back and make you happy!

“My beautiful darling, you were the light of my eyes and the pulse of my heart and the joy of my life!  You were all that I had in the world! my little sister and my daughter and my baby, all in one!  How could you die and leave me all alone in the world, for the love of a man? me who loves you more than all the men on the earth could love!