Although Molly asked oftenest for the tale of the damsel who came alive again at the word of the man who knew all about death, she did not limit her desires to the repetition of what she knew already; and in order to keep his treasure supplied with things new as well as old, the marquis went the oftener to his Latin bible to refresh his memory for Molly’s use, and was in both ways, in receiving and in giving, a gainer.  When the old man came thus to pour out his wealth to the child, lady Margaret then first became aware what a depth both of religious knowledge and feeling there was in her father-in-law.  Neither sir Toby Mathews, nor Dr. Bayly, who also visited her at times, ever, with the torch of their talk, lighted the lamps behind those great eyes, whose glass was growing dull with the vapours from the grave; but her grandfather’s voice, the moment he began to speak to her of the good Jesu, brought her soul to its windows.

This sultry evening Molly was restless.  ‘Madam! madam!’ she kept calling to her mother—­for, like so many of such children, her manners and modes of speech resembled those of grown people, ’What wouldst thou, chicken?’ her mother would ask.  ‘Madam, I know not,’ the child would answer.  Twenty times in an hour, as the evening went on, almost the same words would pass between them.  At length, once more, ‘Madam! madam!’ cried the child.  ’What would my heart’s treasure?’ said the mother; and Molly answered, ’Madam, I would see the white horse spout.’

With a glance and sign to her mistress.  Dorothy rose and crept from the room, crossed the court and the moat, and dragged her heavy heart up the long stair to the top of the keep.  Arrived there, she looked down through a battlement, and fixed her eyes on a certain window, whence presently she caught the wave of a signal-handkerchief.

At the open window stood lady Margaret with Molly in her arms.  The night was so warm that the child could take no hurt; and indeed what could hurt her, with the nameless fever-moth within, fretting a passage for the new winged body which, in the pains of a second birth, struggled to break from its dying chrysalis.

‘Now, Molly, tell the horse to spout,’ said lady Margaret, with such well-simulated cheerfulness as only mothers can put on with hearts ready to break.

‘Mother Mary, tell the horse to spout,’ said Molly; and up went the watery parabolas.

The old flame of delight flushed the child’s cheek, like the flush in the heart of a white rose.  But it died almost instantly, and murmuring, ‘Thanks, good madam!’ whether to mother Mary or mother Margaret little mattered, Molly turned towards the bed, and her mother knew at her heart that the child sought her last sleep—­as we call it, God forgive us our little faith!  ‘Madam!’ panted the child, as she laid her down.  ‘Darling?’ said the mother.  ’Madam, I would see my lord marquis.’  ‘I will send and ask him to come.’  ’Let Robert say that Molly is going—­going—­where is Molly going, madam?’ ’Going to mother Mary, child,’ answered lady Margaret, choking back the sobs that would have kept the tears company.  ‘And the good Jesu ?’ ‘Yes.’—­’And the good God over all ?’ ‘Yes, yes.’  ’I want to tell my lord marquis.  Pray, madam, let him come, and quickly.’