rave and quiet, since Grace explained to
her how much her noisy grief would vex Geordie. But Elsie, who had
returned to her post at Geordie's head, and was seated silently there,
now gave a smothered sob, which seemed to fall on Geordie's ear. He
opened his blue eyes, and looking wistfully about, said in a faint
whisper, "Elsie, I didna know ye was here. I saw you on the
stepping-stones just when I was meetin' Blackie, but I thought you had
been away home before now; it surely must be far on in the gloamin'. Eh,
Elsie, but I'll no be able to keep the tryst for the bramble gatherin'
wi' you," he said, in a mournful tone, turning towards her, and
referring to a long-planned holiday, when they were to go together to
search for brambles for Mistress Gowrie and the forester's wife's joint
jam making. "But, Elsie, speak to me," he continued, feebly, holding
out his hand, for he could not see her face where she sat, "We'll keep
our tryst in the bonnie land beside the green pastures and the still
waters ye often read to me about. Will we no', Elsie?"

"Oh, Geordie, I can't bear it. Why did you no let Blackie get hold o'
me? Oh, Geordie, Geordie!" Elsie sobbed, as she crept round within sight
of the boy, and knelt beside him with clasped hands and lines of agony
on her face, that made the fair child look like a suffering woman.

Geordie turned his dying eyes upon her with a look of mingled love and
sorrow, which none who saw it could ever forget; and stretching out both
his hands, he said, "Oh, Elsie, will ye no give me one kiss afore I
dee?"

And Elsie lifted up her fair face, which had been covered with her
hands, and bending down, kissed the dying lips. Then, with a look of
unutterable gladness and contentment, Geordie closed his eyes as if he
was going to sleep.

Walter Campbell turned away for a moment, for, as he afterwards told one
of his shipmates, "It was more than a fellow could stand, and he didn't
mind confessing that he hadn't stood it." Presently he hurriedly joined
the little group again, determined that Geordie must yet hear before he
went away how his faithful words had, through God's grace burnt
themselves into a wayward heart, and set a dead soul on fire. But he
found that another Voice was falling on Geordie's ear, which was closed
to all earthly sounds now; even that greeting to faithful ones which
bids them enter into the joy of their Lord.

And so the poor bruised body did lie in Mistress Gowrie's
wo