Yes. That was a smart piece of business, and would net in a few thousands.
Then came the visit from the parson. He was glad that he had been generous, and he smiled wanly at the memory of his abrupt departure. What agony he had suffered as he hastened home—what hours of torture which had culminated in that moment when he had knelt by his wife’s side.
He, John Gaunt, had prayed. Every word that he had said was burnt into his brain.
“Give me the life of my wife, and I vow the rest of my life to Your service. Every action of my life shall be deliberately thought out, and shall be in accordance with the teaching of Christ.”
He trembled when he remembered the words, and a feeling of awe overwhelmed him as he realized what he had promised. The trembling increased until it reached every limb, and his step was a stagger as he endeavored to reach a chair into which he fell back heavily.
“I have made a bargain with God,” he said hoarsely.
It was immediately after he had risen from his knees that the nurse had told him that his wife seemed to be a little better. Was that an answer to his prayer? Had the bargain been ratified from above?
To John Gaunt the silence of the room seemed death-like. He tried to moisten his parched lips and then suddenly leapt to his feet.
“What was that sound?”
The handle of the door turned, and Sir Felix appeared; a reassuring smile on his face.