day,
and tried to understand their purport. "There's Providence in the fall
of a sparrow," said Hamlet, and I, being to a certain extent a believer
in this, fancied that everything through which I had gone was an
essential part of the drama of my life.

First, there was Ruth's preference for Wilfred and her dislike for me.
Well, I must bear that. Besides, I was not sure. It is always the
function of a true-hearted woman to speak well of the absent one,
especially if he be maligned. I would not yet allow myself to be
downcast.

Then there was the light on the great rock, the rock of evil repute,
the rock that lured vessels to their destruction. I thought again and
again of this. Then there was the appearance of Deborah Teague, who
told me the light foreboded evil, while the weird dark form between the
prongs told the same story. On other occasions I might have laughed at
all this; but that terrible calamity following so soon after the
warning impressed me strangely.

Yet what connexion could these dark omens have with the death of my
father? What link was there between evil women and one of the purest
and best of men. Clearer than all omens and louder than evil words was
my father's last message to me, a message repeated by the voice of
Heaven, "There is no curse; God is Love."

Thus when daylight came, I was calm, and although I had passed a
sleepless night I was not altogether unrefreshed.

Three weary days followed, and then the funeral. Of that time I have
not much to say. I was mostly alone, except when I was obliged to
attend to the business which now devolved upon me, though I declared
that nothing of importance should be dealt with until after my father's
burial.

From the members of the family I received only kindness. My mother
said nothing that could hurt my feelings; indeed, she seemed
considerate and at times almost gentle. Wilfred, too, was more like
the Wilfred of olden times when we were on good terms with each other.
There was no change in my sisters. They always loved me, and were more
than usually loving, while Ruth was the comforting, cheering influence
of the house. Never until now did I realize the sweetness of her
nature, or her power to cheer and help others when her own heart was
almost breaking.

I could not do much; but in my clumsy way I tried to make them all feel
my father's loss less.

And thus the time passed until my father was laid in the old family
vault, and