there upon the bed,
looking whiter than the sheets, lay his friend. She smiled very sweetly
when she caught sight of him.

"Dear Godfrey," she said, "it is kind of you to come. I wanted to see
you very much, for three reasons. First, I wish to beg your pardon for
having drawn you into this spiritualism without your knowing that I was
doing so. I have told you what my motive was, and therefore I will not
repeat it, as my strength is small. Secondly, I wish you to promise me
that you will never go to another seance, since now I am quite sure
that it is dangerous for the young. To me spiritualism has brought much
good and joy, but with others it may be different, especially as among
spirits, as on the earth, there are evil beings. Do you promise?"

"Yes, yes," answered Godfrey, "only I am afraid of Madame Riennes."

"You must stand up against her if she troubles you, and seek the help
of religion; if necessary consult your old Pasteur, for he is a good
man. There is no danger in the world that cannot be escaped if only one
is bold enough, or so I think, though, alas! myself I have lacked
courage," she added with a gentle sigh.

"Now, dear boy," she went on after pausing to recover strength, "I have
a third thing to say to you. I have left you some money, as I know that
you will have little. It is not every much, but enough, allowing for
accidents and the lessening of capital values, to give you L260 a year
clear. I might have given you more, but did not, for two reasons. The
first is, that I have observed that young men who have what is called a
competence, say L500 or L600 a year, very often are content to try and
live on it, and to do nothing for themselves, so that in the end it
becomes, not a blessing, but a curse. The second is, that to do so I
should be obliged to take away from certain charities and institutions
which I wish to benefit. That is all I have to say about money. Oh! no,
there is one more thing. I have also left you the talisman you gave me,
and with it this house and grounds. Perhaps one day you might like to
live here. I have a sort of feeling that it will be useful to you at
some great crisis of your fate, and at least it will remind you of me,
who have loved and tried to beautify the place. In any case it will
always let, and if it becomes a white elephant, you can sell it and the
furniture, which is worth something."

Godfrey began to stammer his thanks, but she cut him short with a wave
of he