had no opinion of the world that Mark wanted to give up. He would most
willingly have shut any cloister door between that world and his
cherished son in the spirit. It was with no light heart that he wanted
him to face all the roughness of human goodness, all the blinding
confusion of its infirmities, all the cruelty of its vices. The old
man's own service in his last years was but to stand and wait, but, even
so, he was too often oppressed by the small things that fill up empty
hours, small uncharitablenesses, small vanities, small irritations. Was
it not a comfort at such moments to believe that in another world we
should know human nature in others and in ourselves without any cause
for repugnance and without any ground for fear?

CHAPTER XVIII

MADAME DANTERRE'S ANSWER

At last there came a letter to Molly from her mother.

"CARISSIMA,--

"I thank you for your most kind intentions. I too have at times
thought of seeing you. But I am now far too ill, and I have no
attention to spare from my unceasing efforts to keep well. I can
assure you that two doctors and two nurses spend their time and
skill on the struggle. I may, they tell me, live many years yet if
I am not troubled and disturbed. I had, by nature, strong maternal
instincts; it was your father's knowledge of that side of my
character which made his conduct in taking you from me almost
criminal in its cruelty. You must have had a most tiresome
childhood with his sister, and probably you gave her a great deal
of trouble. Your letter affected me with several moments of
suffocation, and the doctors and nurses are of opinion that I must
not risk any more maternal emotions. My poor wants are now very
expensive. I am obliged to have everything that is out of season,
and one _chef_ for my vegetables alone. Have you ever turned your
attention to vegetable diet? Doctor Larrone, whom I thoroughly
confide in, sees no reason why life should not be indefinitely
prolonged if the right--absolutely the right--food is always given.
I am sending you a little brochure he has written on the subject.

"I hope that your allowance is sufficient for your comfort. I
should like you to have asparagus at every meal, and I trust, my
dear child, that you will never become a _devote_. It is an
extraordinary waste of the tissues.

"As we are not like