d in His good time He'll take me, but no' just yet. You
canna spare me yet."

The old man laughed a glad, tremulous laugh, but the tears were not very
far from his eyes, and he patted gently the wrinkled hand, grown thin
and limp.

"And you'll just go to your dinner with the minister and the bairns, and
I'll rest myself a wee while, for, oh! I have little strength. But
I'll soon have more."

After dinner Mr Maxwell came in to say a few words to Mrs Fleming, and
"to give thanks," as she said, and then the old people were left alone
together again. Whether they slept or not, grannie could not tell.

"But we didna think long, my dear," said she to Katie, with her faint,
glad smile.

Mr Maxwell would have liked to lie all the afternoon on the orchard
grass, with Davie and his mother sitting near, and Katie and the rest
coming and going, as the work permitted, for it was sweet and restful
there. But the old squire might wish to see him. He had visited him
almost daily for a while, and so after a little he rose and said he must
go.

"And grannie is better, but Miss Elizabeth will have no glad morning.
Oh, if we could comfort her," said Katie, gravely.

"And don't you think that all that has comforted you all to-day, will
comfort her also?" said Mr Maxwell.

"Miss Elizabeth has always rejoiced with the joyful, and sympathised
with those who were in sorrow," said Katie's mother.

"And that is why she is loved so dearly," said Katie.

"And she was ay fond of grannie," said Davie.

"She will be comforted," said the minister.

And Miss Betsey had her wish. One day her mother and Cynthia came down,
and Ben went over for Mr Fleming, and old Mrs Wainwright, and Deacon
Stone, and two or three others, and the minister, and they all
remembered their Lord together. The "cup of blessing" was passed from
the trembling hands of Mr Fleming to the hands of Jacob Holt, which
trembled also, and so the very last drop of bitterness passed out of the
old man's heart forever.

The end was drawing near now, and the old squire, looking glad and
solemn too, held his daughter's hand, and welcomed them all by name as
they came, and bade them farewell as they went away, "hoping to see them
again," he said, but knowing, as did they all, that it must be on "the
other side." Mr Fleming stayed when the others went away, and
Elizabeth gave him her seat by her father for a little while. They had
not much to say to one another. In al