"Oh! aunt, I was so weary of the night," and then they looked at each other sadly.
"I wish you would all go away and leave me with Archie," said Mrs. Mortomley, after a short pause, and accordingly they went, and husband and wife were left alone.
She had nothing to say to him. If she had she could not have said it to him then. He sat holding her hand in his, and she lay, her head resting on the back of the chair, her figure supported by pillows, her eyes closed, hovering as if loth to go, on the very confines of that life which had to her been so full of joy, and so full of sorrow.
All at once she half raised herself from the chair, and, turning towards her husband, said,
"Archie," whilst her whole face seemed to beam with love and happiness.
She had never, when he was near, left Homewood without turning at the gate to smile and wave her hand to Mortomley; and it seemed to him then, and he will always retain the pleasant fancy, that from the very shore of Eternity, with the glad light of Heaven shining upon and beautifying her face, she spoke that one word, she turned back for an instant to smile fare-well.
THE END.
PRINTED BY TAYLOR AND CO.,
LITTLE QUEEN STREET, LINCOLN'S INN FIELDS.
Transcriber's Note.
A number of printing errors have been corrected. For example, "solilicitor" is now "solicitor," "acquaintaince" is now "acquaintance," "beleagured" is now "beleaguered," and "suroundings" is now "surroundings."