Theyenteredthehouse，andatonceevenMary，preoccupiedasshewaswithherstoryaboutthesailor，noticedthatsomethingwaswrong。
“Rose！Rose！“shecalledoutloudly。
“Hush！“saidMissJones。“Youmustbequiet，dear。“
“Why？“saidMary。“IwantRoseto——“
“Yourmotherisn’tatallwell，dear。I——“
AndshewasinterruptedbyRose，who，comingsuddenlydownstairs，withafaceverydifferentfromherusualcheerfulone，saidsomethingtoMissJonesinalowvoice。
MissJonesgavealittlecry：“Sosoon？……Agirl……“Andthenadded：“Howisshe？“
ThenRosesaidsomethingmore，whichthechildrencouldnotcatch，andvanished。
“Veryquietly，children，“saidMissJones，inavoicethattrembled；
“andyoumustn’tleavetheschoolroomtillItellyou。Yourmother——
“Shebrokeoffasthoughshewereafraidofshowingemotion。
“Whatisit？“saidJeremyinavoicethatseemednewtothemall——
older，moreresolute，strangelychallengingforsosmallaboy。
“Yourmother’sveryill，Jeremy，dear。Youmustbeaverygoodboy，andhelpyoursisters。“
“Mightn’tIgoforjustaminute？“
“No，certainlynot。“
Theyallwentupstairs。Then，intheschoolroom，MissJonessaidanamazingthing。Shesaid：
“Imusttellyouall，children，thatyou’vegotanewlittlesister。“
“Anewsister！“screamedMary。
Helensaid：“Oh，MissJones！“
Jeremysaid：“Whatdidshecomeforjustnow，whenMotherisill？“
“Godwantedhertocome，dear，“saidMissJones。“Youmustallbeverykindtoher，anddoallyoucan——“
Shewasinterruptedbyatorrentofquestionsfromthetwogirls。
Whatwasshelike？Whatwashername？Couldshewalk？Wheredidshecomefrom？DidFatherandMotherfindherinDrymouth？Andsoon。
Jeremywassilent。Atlasthesaid：“Wedon’twantanymoregirlshere。“
“Betterthanhavinganotherboy，“saidHelen。
Buthewouldnottakeupthechallenge。Hesatonhisfavouriteseatonthewindow-ledge，draggedupareluctantHamlettositwithhim，andgazedoutdownintothegardenthatwasmistynowintheeveninggoldenlight，thetreesandthesoilblackbeneaththegold，therooksslowlyswingingacrossthestyabovethefarthersideoftheroad。Hamletwriggled。Healwaysdetestedthatheshouldbecuddled，andhewouldpressfirstwithoneleg，thenwithanother，againstJeremy’scoat；thenhewouldliedeadforamoment，suddenlyspringing，withhisheadup，inthehopethatthesurprisewouldfreehim；thenhewouldturnintoasnake，twistinghisbodyunderJeremy’sarm，anddroppingwithaflopontothefloor。Allthesemanoeuvresto-dayavailedhimnothing；Jeremyheldhisneckinavice，anddughisfingerswellintotheskin。Hamletwhined，thenlaystill，and，inthemidstofindignantreflectionsagainsttheimbeciletyranniesofman，fell，tohisownsurprise，asleep。
Jeremysattherewhilsttheduskfellandallthebeautifullightsweredrawnfromtheskyandtherookswenttobed。Rosecametodrawthecurtains，andthenhelefthiswindow-seat，draggedouthistoyvillageandpretendedtoplaywithit。Helookedathissisters。
Theyseemedquitetranquil。Helenwassewing，andMarydeepin“ThePillarsoftheHouse。“Theclockticked。Hamlet，lostinsleep，snoredandsputtered；thewholeworldpursueditsordinaryway。Onlyinhimselfsomethingwaschanged；hewasunhappy，andhecouldnotaccountforhisunhappiness。Itshouldhavebeenbecausehismotherwasill，andyetshehadbeenillbefore，andhehadbeenonlydisturbedforamoment。Afterall，grown-uppeoplealwaysgotwell。
TherehadbeenAuntAmy，whohadhadmeasles，andthewifeoftheDean，whohadhadsomething，andeventheBishoponce……Butnowhewasfrightened。Therewassomeperception，comingtohimnowforthefirsttimeinhislife，thatthisworldwasnotabsolutelystable——thatpeopleleftit，peoplecameintoit，thattherewaschangeanddangerandsomethingstronger……Graduallythisperceptionwasapproachinghimasthoughithadbeensomedarkfigurewhohadenteredthehouse，andnow，withmuffledstepandveiledface，wasslowlyclimbingthestairstowardshim。Heonlyknewthathismothercouldnotgo；shecouldnotgo。Shewaspartofhislife，andshewouldalwaysbeso。Why，now，whenhethoughtofit，hecoulddonothingwithouthismother；everydayhemusttellherwhathehaddoneandwhathewasgoingtodo，mustshowherwhathehadacquiredandmustexplaintoherwhathehadlost，mustgotoherwhenhewashurtandwhenhewasfrightenedandwhenhewasglad……Andofallthesethingshehadnevereventhoughtuntilnow。
Ashesattherethehouseseemedtogroweverquieterandquieterabouthim。Hefeltasthoughhewouldhavelikedtohavegonetotheschoolroomdoorandlistened。Itwasterribleimaginingthehousebehindthedoor——quitesilent——sothattheclockshadstopped，andnoonewalkeduponthestairsandnoonelaugheddowninthepantry。
Hewishedthattheywouldmakemorenoiseintheschoolroom。HeupsetthechurchandtheorchardandMrs。Noah。
Butthesilenceafterthenoisewasworsethanever。
SoonMissJonestookthetwogirlsawaytoherroomtofitonsomeclothes，anoperationwhichHelenadoredandMaryhated。Jeremywasleftalone，andhewas，atonce，terriblyfrightened。Heknewthatitwasofnousetobefrightened，andhetriedtogoonwithhisgame，puttingthechurchwiththeappletreesarounditandtheNoahfamilyallsleepingunderthetrees，butateverymomentsomethingcompelledhimtoraisehisheadandseethatnoonewasthere，andhefeltsosmallandsolonelythathewouldliketohavehiddenundersomething。
Thenwhenhethoughtofhismotherallaloneandthehousesoquietaroundherandnooneabletogotoherhefeltsomiserablethatheturnedroundfromhisvillageandstareddesolatelyintothefireplace。Thethoughtofhisnewsistercametohim，butwasdismissedimpatiently。Hedidnotwantanewsister——MaryandHelenweretroubleenoughasitwas——andhefelt，withanoldwearyair，thatitwastime，indeed，thathewasofftoschool。Nothingwasthesame。Alwaysnewpeople。Neveranypeace。
Hewasstartledbythesoundoftheopeningdoor，and，turning，sawhisfather。Hisfatherandhewereneververyeasytogether。Mr。
Colehadverylittletimefortheindividual，beingengagedinsavingsoulsinthemass，andhischeery，good-temperedChristianityhadastrange，startlingfashionofprovingunavailingbeforesomesinglehumancase。
Hedidnotunderstandchildrenexceptwhentheywereplacedinmassesbeforehim。Hisownchildren，havingbeennamed，ontheirarrival，“GiftsfromGod，“hadkeptmuchofthatincorporealatmospherethroughouttheirgrowingyears。
Butto-nighthewasadifferentman。Ashelookedathissmallsonacrosstheschoolroomfloortherewasterrorinhiseyes。Nothingcouldhavebeeneasierormoresimplethanhislifelongassumptionthat，becauseGodwasinHisheavenallwasrightwiththeworld。Hehadgiventhankseveryeveningfortheblessingsthathehadreceivedandeverymorningfortheblessingsthathewasgoingtoreceive，andhehadhadnoreasontocomplain。Hehadthewife，thechildren，theworkthathedeserved，andhislifehadbeensohemmedinwithsecuritythathehadhadnodifficultyinassuringhiscongregationoneverypossibleoccasionthatGodwasgoodandfar-
seeing，andthat“notonesparrow……“
Andnowliewasthreatened——threatenedmostdesperately。Mrs。Colewassoillthatitwasdoubtfulwhethershewouldlivethroughthenight。Hewascompletelyhelpless。Hehadturnedfromonesidetoanother，simplydemandinganassurancefromsomeoneorsomethingthatshecouldnotbetakenfromhim。Noonecouldgivehimthatassurance。Lifewithoutherwouldbeimpossible；hewouldnotknowwhattodoaboutthesimplestmatter。Lifewithouther……oh！butitwasincredible！
Likeablindmanhehadgropedhiswayuptotheschoolroom。Hedidnotwanttoseethechildren，norMissJones，buthemustbemoving，mustbedoingsomethingthatwouldbreakinuponthatterribleominouspausethatthewholeworldseemedtohim，atthismoment，tobemaking。
ThenhesawJeremy。Hesaid：
“Oh！Where’sMissJones？“
“She’sinthenextroom，“saidJeremy，lookingathisfather。
“Oh！“Hebegantowalkupanddowntheschoolroom。Jeremylefthistoyvillageandstoodup。
“IsMotherbetter，Father？“
Hestoppedinhiswalkandlookedattheboyasthoughheweretryingtorecollectwhohewas。
“No……No——thatis——No，myboy，I’mafraidnot。“
“Issheverybad，Father——liketheDean’swifewhenshehadfever？“
Hisfatherdidn’tanswer。Hewalkedtotheendoftheroom，thenturnedsuddenlyasthoughhehadseensomethingtherethatterrifiedhim，andhurriedfromtheroom。
Jeremy，suddenlyleftalone，hadadesperateimpulsetoscreamthatsomeonemustcome，thathewasfrightened，thatsomethinghorriblewasinthehouse。Hestoodup，staringatthecloseddoor，hisfacewhite，hiseyeslargeandfulloffear。ThenheflunghimselfdownbyHamletand，takinghimbytheneck，whispered：
“I’mfrightened！I’mfrightened！Barkorsomething！……There’ssomeonehere！“
III
NextmorningMrs。Colewasstillalive。Therehadbeennochangeduringthenight；to-day，thedoctorsaid，wouldbethecriticalday。To-daywasSunday，andMr。Coletookhismorningserviceathischurchasusual。Hehadbeenupallnight；helookedhaggardandpale，stillwearingthatexpressionasofamanlostinaworldthathehadalwaystrusted。Buthewouldnotfailinhisduty。“Whentwoorthreearegatheredtogetherinmyname……“PerhapsGodwouldhearhim。
ItwasadayofwonderfulheatforMay。Noonehadeverrememberedsohotadayatsoearlyatimeofyear。Thewindowsofthechurchwereopen，butnobreezeblewthroughtheaisles。Therelentlessblazingblueoftheskypenetratedintothecoolshadowsofthechurch，anditwasasthoughthecongregationsatthereundershimmeringglass。Thewavesoflightshifted，roseandfellabovethebonnetsandhatsandbareheads，andallthelittlechoirboysfellasleepduringthesermon。
TheColefamilydidnotfallasleep。Theysatwithpalefacesandstiffbacksstaringattheirfatherandthinkingabouttheirmother。
MaryandHelenwerefrightened；thehousewassostrange，everyonespokeinwhispers，and，onthewayintochurch，manyladieshadaskedthemhowtheirmotherwas。
Theyfeltimportantaswellassad。ButJeremydidnotfeelimportant。Hehadnotheardtheladiesandtheirquestions——hewouldnothavecaredifhehad。Peoplehadalwayscalledhim“aqueerlittleboy，“simplybecausehewasindependentandthoughtmorethanhespoke。Nevertheless，hehadalwaysinrealitybeennormalenoughuntilnow。To-dayhewasreally“queer，“wasconsciousforthefirsttimeoftheexistenceofaworldwhoseadjacencetotherealworldwas，inafterdays，totroublehimsooftenandtocomplicatelifeforhimsogrievously。Theterrorthathadcomedownuponhimwhenhisfatherhadlefthimseemedto-dayutterlytosoakthroughintotheveryheartofhim。Hismotherwasgoingtodieunlesssomethingorsomebodysavedher。Whatwasdying？Goingaway，hehadalwaysbeentold，withagoldenharp，tosinghymnsinaforeigncountry。
Butto-daythepicturewouldnotformsoeasily。TherewassilenceanddarknessandconfusionaboutthisDeath。Hismotherwasgoing，againstherwill，andnoonecouldtellhimwhithershewasgoing。
Ifhecouldonlystopherdying，forceGodtoleaveheralone，toleaveherwiththemallasshehadbeenbefore……
Hefixedhiseyesuponhisfather，whoclimbedslowlyintohispulpitandgaveoutthetextofhissermon。To-dayhewouldtalkaboutthesacrificeofIsaac。“Abraham，ashishearerswouldremember……“andsoon。