bent low.

'Dun you think yor too owd to be a gronmother?' asked Matt of his
parent, growing in boldness as he warmed to his confession.

'If I were thee I'd ax mysel if I were young enugh to be a
faither, that I would,' said the old woman.

'Well, I shall happen be one afore so long, shornd I, Miriam?'

But tears were streaming from Miriam's eyes, and she answered not.

And then there dawned on the mind of Deborah the cause of her
son's confusion, and a light stole across the hard lines of her
face as she said:

'Is that it, lad? Thank God! thaa'rt in th' covenant after all.'

III.

'IT'S A LAD!'

'Naa, Matt, put on thi coite and fotch th' doctor, an tak' care
thaa doesn't let th' grass grow under thi feet.'

Matt needed no second bidding. In a moment he was ready, and
before the old nurse turned to re-ascend the chamber stairs the
faithful fellow was on his way towards the village below.

It was a morning in November, and as Matt hurried along he passed
many on their way to a day's work at the Bridge Factory in the
vale. Most of them knew him, dark though it was, and greeting him,
guessed the errand on which he raced. Once or twice he collided
with those who were slow to get out of his path, and almost
overturned old Amos Entwistle into the goit as he pushed past him
on the bank that afforded the nearest cut to the village.

'Naa, lad, who arto pushin' agen, and where arto baan i' that
hurry? Is th' haase o' fire, or has th' missus taan her bed?'

But Matt was beyond earshot before the old man finished his rude
rebuke.

Throughout the whole of his journey Matt's mind was a prey to wild
and foreboding passion--passion largely the product of a rude and
superstitious mind. Questions painful, if not foolish, haunted and
tormented him. Would Miriam die? Had not the seven years of their
past life been too happy to last? Did not his mother once reverse
the old Hebrew proverb, and warn him that a night of weeping would
follow a morning of joy? Would Heaven be avenged on his occasional
fits of discontent, and grant him his wish for a child at the cost
of the life of his wife? He had heard how the Almighty discounted
His gifts; how selfish men had to pay dearly for what they
wrenched against the will of God. As he hurried, these thoughts
followed on as fleet feet as his own, and moaned their voices in
his ears with the sounds of the wind.

It was not long before he reached Dr. Hale's door, where he so