u cannot; He is so strong, so cruel! and He
holds you fast." And I sobbed afresh, covering up my face.

"Miriam, what words are these?--Mr. Monfort, I am pleased that you have
come. It is best for your little daughter to retire; she is greatly
moved and excited;" and, yielding to my father's guidance and
persuasion, I went passively from the presence of the dead, into which
came, a moment later, the hushed crowd of her church-people and our few
private friends, assembled to witness her obsequies.

Evelyn Erie accompanied my father to the grave as one of the chief
mourners, and at my entreaty Mrs. Austin laid my little sister on the
bed by my side, and I was soothed and strengthened by the sight of her
baby loveliness as nothing else could have soothed and strengthened me.

Then, solemnly and in my own heart, I renewed the promise I had made the
dead, and as far as in me lay have I kept it, Mabel, through thy life
and mine!

I roused from an uneasy sleep an hour later, to find George Gaston at my
side.

"I have brought you this, Miriam," he said, "because I thought it might
help you to bear up. It is a little book my mother loved; perhaps you
can read it and understand it when you are older even if you cannot now.
See, there is a cross on the back, and such a pretty picture of Jesus in
the front. It is for you to _keep_ forever, Miriam. It is called Keble's
'Christian Year.'"

"Thank you, George," and I kissed him, murmuring, "But I do not think I
shall ever read any more," tearfully.

He, too, begged to see the baby for all recompense--his darling as well
as mine thenceforth; and I recall to this hour the lovely face of the
boy, with all his clustering, nut-brown curls damp with the clammy
perspiration incident to his debility, bending above the tiny infant as
it lay in sweet repose, with words of pity and tenderness, and tearful,
steadfast eyes that seemed filled with almost angelic solicitude and
solemn blessing.

Two guardians of ten years old then clasped hands above its downy head,
and in childish earnestness vowed to one another to protect, to cherish,
to defend it as long as life was spared to either. Hannibal was not
older than we were when he swore his famous oath at Carthage, kneeling
at the feet of Hamilcar before the altar, to hate the Romans. How was
our oath of love less solemn or impressive than his of hatred?--pledged
as it was, too, in the presence of an angel too lately freed from
earth's bon