go and travel as you have
proposed. Stay away for a year. Dear knows, I do not want to keep you
from me for all that time, but the absence will be for your good. It
will influence your life. When you come back, then you will know
yourself better than you can possibly know yourself now. Then you will
be able to see what you truly ought to do, and I promise you that if I
am alive I will help you do it."

I took the dear old lady in my arms, and her advice to my heart. I
acknowledged to myself that at this conjuncture the wisest thing, the
kindest thing was to go away. I might not stay away for a year, but I
would go.

"Grandmother," I said, "I will do what you advise. But I have something
to ask of you: I have vowed that I will be a brother of the House of
Martha, and that I will do its work, with or without the consent of the
sisters, and with or without their companionship. Now if I go, will you
be my substitute? Will you, as far as you can, assist the sisters in
their undertakings, and do what you think I would have done, had I been
here?"

"I cannot change a dilapidated hut into a charming cottage in one
afternoon," she said, placing both hands on my shoulders as she spoke,
"but I will do all that I can, and all that you ought to do, if you were
here. That much I promise."

"Then I will go," I said, "with a heavy heart, but with an easier
conscience."

Walkirk entirely approved of an immediate start upon the journey which I
had before proposed. I think he feared that if it was postponed any
longer, I might get some other idea into my head which would work better
than the brotherhood scheme, and that our travels might be postponed
indefinitely.

But there was a great deal to be done before I could leave home for a
lengthy absence, and a week was occupied in arranging my business
affairs, and planning for the comfort and pleasure of my grandmother
while I should be away. Walkirk engaged the stenographer, and was the
greatest possible help to me in every way, but notwithstanding his
efforts to relieve me of work that was a busier week for me than any
week in my whole life. This was an advantage to me, for it kept me from
thinking too much of the reason for my hurried journey.

At last the day arrived on which the steamer was to sail, and the
generally cool Walkirk actually grew nervous in his efforts to get me
ready to start by the early morning train for the city. In these efforts
I did not assist him in the l