nyway." After a moment he added, with a gleam
of interest: "I've been thinkin', since he went, of what we talked about
the other night,--I don't mean animals, but men. I tried to go over what
you said, in my own mind, but I couldn't seem to make it."

He lifted his face, sculptured so fine by age, and blinked at Ewbert,
who was glad to fancy something appealing in his words and manner.

"You mean as to a life beyond this?"

"Ah!"

"Well, let us see if we can't go over it together."

Ewbert had forgotten the points he had made before, and he had to take
up the whole subject anew, he did so at first in an involuntarily
patronizing confidence that Hilbrook was ignorant of the ground; but
from time to time the old man let drop a hint of knowledge that
surprised the minister. Before they had done, it appeared that Hilbrook
was acquainted with the literature of the doctrine of immortality from
Plato to Swedenborg, and even to Mr. John Fiske. How well he was
acquainted with it Ewbert could not quite make out; but he had
recurrently a misgiving, as if he were in the presence of a doubter
whose doubt was hopeless through his knowledge. In this bleak air it
seemed to him that he at last detected the one thing in which the old
man felt an interest: his sole tie with the earth was the belief that
when he left it he should cease to be. This affected Ewbert as most
interesting, and he set himself, with all his heart and soul, to
dislodge Hilbrook from his deplorable conviction. He would not perhaps
have found it easy to overcome at once that repugnance which Hilbrook's
doubt provoked in him, if it had been less gently, less simply owned. As
it was, it was not possible to deal with it in any spirit of mere
authority. He must meet it and overcome it in terms of affectionate
persuasion.

It should not be difficult to overcome it; but Ewbert had not yet
succeeded in arraying his reasons satisfactorily against it when his
wife returned from her work in the kitchen, and sat down beside the
library table. Her coming operated a total diversion, in which Hilbrook
lapsed into his apathy, and was not to be roused from it by the
overtures to conversation which she made. He presently got to his feet
and said he mast be going, against all her protests that it was very
early. Ewbert wished to walk home with him; but Hilbrook would not
suffer this, and the minister had to come back from following him to the
gate, and watching his figure lose