Volume Ii Part 85 (1/2)

”I am not tired, dear Hugh.”

Hugh clasped one arm round her neck and kissed her ? again and again, seeming unable to say anything to her in any other way; still keeping his hold of Mr. Carleton's hand.

”I give all my part of her to you,” he said, at length. ”Mr.

Carleton, I shall see both of you in heaven?”

”I hope so,” was the answer, in those very calm and clear tones that have a singular effect in quieting emotion, while they indicate anything but the want of it.

”I am the best off of you all,” Hugh said.

He lay still for awhile with shut eyes. Fleda had withdrawn herself from his arms and stood at his side, with a bowed head, but perfectly quiet. He still held Mr. Carleton's hand, as something he did not want to part with.

”Fleda,” said he, ”who is that crying? ? Mother ? come here.”

Mr. Carleton gave place to her. Hugh pulled her down to him till her face lay upon his, and folded both his arms around her.

”Mother,” he said, softly, ”will you meet me in heaven? ? say yes.”

”How can I, dear Hugh?”

”You can, dear mother,” said he, kissing her with exceeding tenderness of expression ? ”my Saviour will be yours and take you there. Say you will give yourself to Christ ? dear mother!

? sweet mother! ? promise me I shall see you again!”

Mrs. Rossitur's weeping it was difficult to hear. But Hugh, hardly shedding a tear, still kissed her, repeating, ”Promise me, dear mother ? promise me that you will;” ? till Mrs.

Rossitur, in an agony, sobbed out the word he wanted, and Hugh hid his face then in her neck.

Mr. Carleton left the room and went down stairs. He found the sitting-room desolate, untenanted and cold for hours; and he went again into the kitchen. Barby was there for some time, and then she left him alone.

He had pa.s.sed a long while in thinking, and walking up and down, and he was standing musing by the fire, when Fleda again came in. She came in silently to his side, and putting her arm within his, laid her face upon it with a simplicity of trust and reliance that went to his heart; and she wept there for a long hour They hardly changed their position in all that time; and her tears flowed silently, though incessantly, the only tokens of his part being such a gentle caressing, smoothing of her hair, or putting it from her brow as he had used when she was a child. The bearing of her hand and head upon his arm, in time showed her increasingly weary. Nothing showed him so.

”Elfie ? my dear Elfie,” he said at last, very tenderly, in the same way that he would have spoken nine years before ?

”Hugh gave his part of you to me ? I must take care of it.”

Fleda tried to rouse herself immediately.

”This is poor entertainment for you, Mr. Carleton,” she said, raising her head, and wiping away the tears from her face.

”You are mistaken,” he said, gently. ”You never gave me such pleasure but twice before, Elfie?”

Fleda's head went down again instantly, and this time there was something almost caressing in the motion.

”Next to the happiness of having friends on earth,” he said soothingly, ”is the happiness of having friends in heaven.

Don't weep any more to-night, my dear Elfie.”

”He told me to thank you,” said Fleda. But stopping short and clasping with convulsive energy the arm she held, she shed more violent tears than she had done that night before. The most gentle soothing, the most tender reproof, availed at last to quiet her; and she stood clinging to his arm still, and looking down into the fire.

”I did not think it would be so soon,” she said.