6. _"And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not
lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of
blood._

7. _"And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter's field, to
bury strangers in._

8. _"Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood unto this day._

9. _"Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet,
saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that
was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value._

10. _"And gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord appointed me._"

What was this!--standing upright again, as she had done several times in
the church--was she listening? It scarcely appeared that she was; she
took first one hand from her staff, and looked earnestly at it, and then
she took the other, and with wide-open eyes examined that also.

"O cruel, cruel," thought Peter's mother, when Peter had repeated a
verse or two, "why did not Laura prevent this, she who knew what the
child's lesson was?" and she sat cold and trembling, with an anguish of
pity; but she felt that now it was too late to stop her boy, he must go
on to the end. As to the nurse, she sitting there still, with her work
on her knees, felt as if every word rose up and struck her on the face.
He was slowly, pensively, and O so calmly, describing to the poor mother
the manner of her son's death.

"That will do, master Peter," she exclaimed, the moment he had finished;
and she snatched his hand and led him away, telling him to go and play
in the orchard.

Peter was not destitute of gratitude, and as he made his exit, he
thought, what a good thing it was that he did not say his lesson to his
grandmother every day.

When the nurse turned again she observed that Madam Melcombe had
tottered a step or two forward: her grand-daughter, and her grandson's
widow were supporting her. One of them called to her to fetch some
cordial, and this seemed to disturb the poor old woman, for she
presently said slowly, and as if it caused her a great effort to
speak,--

"What are they gone for? and what are you doing?"

"We're holding you up, grandmother; you tremble, dear; you can hardly
stand. Won't you sit down?"

"Won't I what?" she repeated. "I don't hear;" and she began to move
with their help and that of her staff to the balustrade.

The old fancy; the constant fancy; gazing at the bed of lilies, and
talking to herself as, with her tre