Smith and the Pharaohs, and other Tales

ter her earthly death. Or rather some of the things, for mos

in it she was quite alone. The whole universe seemed to centre in her solitary soul. Still she felt no fear, on

ight sea. Now she was at rest, and the rest was long and sweet. Every fear and sa

he light, though dimly, and that it was different to any she had known, purer, more radiant. She perceived also that she lay upon a low couch, and that the weight upon her knee was caused by something shaped like the head of

, Nell?" but she c

ed to her that the dog thought, and tha

ave you, am allowed to be the first to greet you," and it lifte

beast in a kind of rapture, and her inte

, a creature, are here,

watch you till they

. Till who come

re no more. But oh! was it possibl

ory or alabaster. At the end of the room were curtains woven of some glittering stuff that gave out light. At length these curtains were drawn, and through them, bearing

t glided to her side and looked at her with loving, mysterious eyes. Then it held the cup to her l

f this n

and a wonderful life fe

arbara, leaning over a cot and looking at the white face of a dead child in a certain room in London. The

d there around the bed appeare

" said one of them, "but we are

ound kneeling in the church, was her adored father, grown more young. Once more she lo

y. Now the great room was full of presences, and now the curtains were gone and all space beyond was full of presences, and fr

in the world's rank soil had here blossomed to this perfect flower. Now she knew what was meant by the saying that the kingdom of Heaven is within you, and by the other saying that as man sows so shall he reap. She learned that in

as creatures dragged from black caverns of darkness into the burning light of day. These yearned back to their darkness and attained sometimes to other coverings of a mortal

spirit shape of all that lived and could die, even to that of the flower. But down to the earth it seemed that much of it was whirled ag

y creation, and whose task it was to instruct her in its simpler mysteries, to live and to repent is yet more blessed. In this life or in th

piritual universe into which this world of ours pours itself day b

on had indeed become an altar on which Love's perfect fire flamed an offering to Heaven. Happy, too, was her communion with those other souls that had been mingled in her lot,

d world in which idleness was not known, nor any weariness in we

ked Anthony, who

know, ending, "And I chose to leave him that I might take my chance of finding you. I

his soul, which is as anc

ot if I bade it farewell yesterday or ten thousand years ago. Long, long since it may have passed through this world, where it would seem we dwell only with those whom we seek or who

ove to learn how things went

you were very near to me, or so I drea

etimes find more than

t is laid on me. Som

the truth as to this son of theirs, and it was

r knew-they were drawn to the world that they had left, and

d, dark and handsome. Barbara knew her at once for the girl Bess Catton, who alone could control her son in his rages and whom she had dismissed for her bad conduct. She entered the place and they entered with her, although she saw them not. Bess sat down, and present

e a merry supper, Be

e; it's too respectable. But suppose that Anthony came along. He's my l

rget your marriage ring and have

Anthony, never was, but others

windows which looked out on to the illuminated garden and the dancing. In this room, seated round a table, was a company of women gaudily dre

to the window. Then the meal began, a costly meal at which not much was eaten but a great de

, tall, powerful, and in his way handsome, with hair of a chestnut red. Just then he who had brought Be

th below. For a few seconds the man lay there, then rose and ran till presently he vanished beneath the shadow of some trees. There was tumult and confusion in th

r by the a

low through the window, o

ng in his face that made her sil

mpson's London house. In that drawing-room where she had part

through her set lips, glari

thing, my name, the wealth my old aunt left to me; you, you the peasant's chil

r your pains, for such a

ine. You ask me how I dare. Go on with these ways, and I tell you I'll dare a good dea

ng against me since I married. Do you think I want to be such a one as

by the devil that made you I'll send you a

re. Why she even died to be rid of you. Oh, I know all about it, and you told me as much yourself. If my child is ever born I hope for

dened husband went to them, filled a tumbler half fu

cent fellow. But then I met Bess again by chance, and she had the old hold on me, and there was none to keep me back, and she knew how to play her fish until I married her. The old aunt never found it out. If she had I shouldn't have 8,000 pounds a year to-day. I lied to her about that, and I wonder what she thinks of me now, if she can think where she is gone. I wonder what my mother thinks also, and my father, who was a good man by all accounts, though nobody seems to remember much about him. Supposing that they could see me now,

umbler of brandy, hid his face in h

h, mother, come back to me, moth

eir dream of the dreadful earth a

not lie, and with those words all the glory

ave been saved. Now through me he is lost, who step by step of his own will must travel downwards to the last depth, and thenc

and joy has departed from me. Yet what

n the flesh had been named Septimus Walrond, "come, yo

ayer. The vision was that of the fate of the soul of the son of Anthony and Barbar

" said Barbara, "and as

aughters and of the daughter of Anthony and Barbara prayed with hi

he child was Barbara and the man was he who had been her son. By a long and diffic

g of this vision might be made more clear

pwards to yet greater joy, shared with those she loved. On the other hand lay the seething hell of Earth, to be once more endured through many mortal years and-a soul to save alive. None might counsel her, none might

onement of her mortal sin. And as she chose the great arc of Heaven ab

erly alone, she laid her on the couch in the great chamber with the translucent dome and thence her spirit was whirled back th

Barbara-Barbara who came b

n in hope, she has memory and s

E