ll behold the Land that is very far off.'"

"'Tis none so fur off now," quoth _Madge_. "I've getten a many miles
nearer sin' you were hither."

"I think thou hast, _Madge_," saith Aunt _Joyce_.

"Ay. An' 'tis a good place," saith she. "'Tis a good place here, where
ye can just lie and watch th' gate. They'll come out, they bonnie folk,
and fetch me in anon: and _Mother's_ safe sure to be one."

"Ah, _Madge_! Thou wist whither thou goest," saith Aunt _Joyce_.

"Why, for sure!" saith she. "He's none like to send me nowhere else but
where He is. Dun ye think I'd die for somebody I didn't want?"

She saith not much else, but seemed as though she sank back into that
heavy way she had afore. But at last, when we were about to depart, she
roused up again a moment.

"God be wi' ye both," said she. "I'm going th' longer journey, but
there's t' better home at t' end. May-be I shall come to th' gate to
meet you. Mind you dunnot miss, Mistress _Milly_. Mistress _Joyce_,
she's safe."

"I will try not to miss, _Madge_," I answered through my tears, "God
helping me."

"He'll help ye if ye want helpin'," saith Madge.

"Only He'll none carry you if ye willn't come. Dunna throw away good
gold for dead leaves Mistress _Milly_. God be wi' ye!"

We left her there--"watching the gate."

SELWICK HALL, FEBRUARY YE XXVI.
This morrow, as I came down the stairs, what should I see but Aunt
_Joyce_, a-shaking the snow from her cloak and pulling off her pattens.

"Why, _Aunt_!" cried I. "Have you been forth thus early?"

Aunt _Joyce_ turned on me a very solemn face.

"_Milly_," saith she, "_Madge_ is in at the gate."

"O _Aunt_! have you seen her die?"

"I have seen her rise to life," she made answer. "Child, the Lord grant
to thee and me such a death as hers! It seemed as though, right at the
last moment, the mist that had veiled it all her earth-time cleared from
the poor brain, and the light poured in on her like a flood. `The King
in His beauty! The King in His beauty!' were the last words she spake,
but in such a voice of triumph and gladness as I never heard from her
afore. O _Milly_, my darling child! how vast the difference between the
being `saved so as by fire,' and the abundant entrance of the good and
faithful servant! Let us not rest short of it."

And methought, as I followed Aunt _Joyce_ into the breakfast-chamber,
that God helping me, I would not.

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