I\'mverygratefultoyou，andwe\'llpartfriends。Good-night，sir。\"
Thefatherheldouthishandinsilence。Theheavyportieredroppednoiselesslybehindtheson，andhewentupthewide，curvingstairwaytohisownroom。
MeantimeJohnWeightmansatinhiscarvedchairintheJacobeandining-room。Hefeltstrangelyoldanddull。TheportraitsofbeautifulwomenbyLawrenceandReynoldsandRaeburn，whichhadoftenseemedlikerealcompanytohim，lookedremoteanduninteresting。
Hefanciedsomethingcoldandalmostunfriendlyintheirexpression，asiftheywerestaringthroughhimorbeyondhim。Theycarednothingforhisprinciples，hishopes，hisdisappointments，hissuccesses；
theybelongedtoanotherworld，inwhichhehadnoplace。Atthishefeltavagueresentment，asenseofdiscomfortthathecouldnothavedefinedorexplained。Hewasusedtobeingconsidered，respected，appreciatedathisfullvalueineveryregion，eveninthatofhisowndreams。
Presentlyherangforthebutler，tellinghimtoclosethehouseandnottositup，andwalkedwithlaggingstepsintothelonglibrary，wheretheshadedlampswereburning。Hiseyefelluponthelowshelvesfullofcostlybooks，buthehadnodesiretoopenthem。Eventhecarefullychosenpicturesthathungabovethemseemedtohavelosttheirattraction。HepausedforamomentbeforeanidyllofCorot——adanceofnymphsaroundsomeforgottenaltarinavaporousglade——andlookedatitcuriously。Therewassomethingrapturousandsereneaboutthepicture，abreathofspring-timeinthemistytrees，aharmonyofjoyinthedancingfigures，thatwakenedinhimafeelingofhalf-pleasureandhalf-envy。Itrepresentedsomethingthathehadneverknowninhiscalculated，orderlylife。Hewasdimlymistrustfulofit。
\"Itiscertainlyverybeautiful，\"hethought，\"butitisdistinctlypagan；
thataltarisbuilttosomeheathengod。ItdoesnotfitintotheschemeofaChristianlife。Idoubtwhetheritisconsistentwiththetoneofmyhouse。Iwillsellitthiswinter。ItwillbringthreeorfourtimeswhatIpaidforit。Thatwasagoodpurchase，averygoodbargain。\"
Hedroppedintotherevolvingchairbeforehisbiglibrarytable。
Itwascoveredwithpamphletsandreportsofthevariousenterprisesinwhichhewasinterested。Therewasapileofnewspaperclippingsinwhichhisnamewasmentionedwithpraiseforhissustainingpowerasapillaroffinance，forhisjudiciousbenevolence，forhissupportofwiseandprudentreformmovements，forhisdiscretioninmakingpermanentpublicgifts——\"theWeightmanCharities，\"oneverycomplaisanteditorcalledthem，asiftheydeservedclassificationasadistinctspecies。
Heturnedhepapersoverlistlessly。Therewasadescriptionandapictureofthe\"WeightmanWingoftheHospitalforCripples，\"
ofwhichhewaspresident；andanarticleonthenewprofessorinthe\"WeightmanChairofPoliticalJurisprudence\"inJacksonUniversity，ofwhichhewasatrustee；andanillustratedaccountoftheopeningofthe\"WeightmanGrammar-School\"atDulwich-on-the-Sound，wherehehadhislegalresidenceforpurposesoftaxation。
ThislastwasperhapsthemostcarefullyplannedofalltheWeightmanCharities。Hedesiredtowintheconfidenceandsupportofhisruralneighbors。IthadpleasedhimmuchwhenthelocalnewspaperhadspokenofhimasanidealcitizenandthelogicalcandidatefortheGovernorshipoftheState；butuponthewholeitseemedtohimwisertokeepoutofactivepolitics。ItwouldbeeasierandbettertoputHaroldintotherunning，tohavehimsenttotheLegislaturefromtheDulwichdistrict，thentothenationalHouse，thentotheSenate。
Whynot？TheWeightmaninterestswerelargeenoughtoneedadirectrepresentativeandguardianatWashington。
Butto-nightalltheseplanscamebacktohimwithdustuponthem。
Theyweredryandcrumblinglikeforsakenhabitations。Thesonuponwhomhiscomplacentambitionhadrestedhadturnedhisbackuponthemansionofhisfather\'shopes。Thebreakmightnotbefinal；
andinanyeventtherewouldbemuchtolivefor；thefortunesofthefamilywouldbesecure。ButthezestofitallwouldbegoneifJohnWeightmanhadtogiveuptheassuranceofperpetuatinghisnameandhisprinciplesinhisson。Itwasabitterdisappointment，andhefeltthathehadnotdeservedit。
Herosefromthechairandpacedtheroomwithleadenfeet。
Forthefirsttimeinhislifehisagewasvisiblyuponhim。
Hisheadwasheavyandhot，andthethoughtsthatrolledinitwereconfusedanddepressing。Coulditbethathehadmadeamistakeintheprinciplesofhisexistence？TherewasnoargumentinwhatHaroldhadsaid——itwasalmostchildish——andyetithadshakentheeldermanmoredeeplythanhecaredtoshow。
Itheldasilentattackwhichtouchedhimmorethanopencriticism。
Supposetheendofhislifewerenearerthanhethought——theendmustcomesometime——whatifitwerenow？Hadhenotfoundedhishouseuponarock？HadhenotkepttheCommandments？
Washenot，\"touchingthelaw，blameless\"？Andbeyondthis，evenifthereweresomefaultsinhischaracter——andallmenaresinners——
yethesurelybelievedinthesavingdoctrinesofreligion——theforgivenessofsins，theresurrectionofthebody，thelifeeverlasting。
Yes，thatwasthetruesourceofcomfort，afterall。HewouldreadabitintheBible，ashedideverynight，andgotobedandtosleep。
Hewentbacktohischairatthelibrarytable。Astrangeweightofwearinessresteduponhim，butheopenedthebookatafamiliarplace，andhiseyesfellupontheverseatthebottomofthepage。
\"Laynotupforyourselvestreasuresuponearth。\"
Thathadbeenthetextofthesermonafewweeksbefore。
Sleepily，heavily，hetriedtofixhisminduponitandrecallit。
WhatwasitthatDoctorSnodgrasshadsaid？Ah，yes——thatitwasamistaketopausehereinreadingtheverse。Wemustreadonwithoutapause——Laynotuptreasuresuponearthwheremothandrustdocorruptandwherethievesbreakthroughandsteal——thatwasthetruedoctrine。
Wemayhavetreasuresuponearth，buttheymustnotbeputintounsafeplaces，butintosafeplaces。Amostcomfortingdoctrine！
Hehadalwaysfollowedit。Mothsandrustandthieveshaddonenoharmtohisinvestments。
JohnWeightman\'sdroopingeyesturnedtothenextverse，atthetopofthesecondcolumn。
\"Butlayupforyourselvestreasuresinheaven。\"
NowwhathadtheDoctorsaidaboutthat？Howwasittobeunderstood——inwhatsense——treasures——inheaven？
Thebookseemedtofloatawayfromhim。Thelightvanished。
HewondereddimlyifthiscouldbeDeath，comingsosuddenly，soquietly，soirresistibly。Hestruggledforamomenttoholdhimselfup，andthensankslowlyforwarduponthetable。Hisheadresteduponhisfoldedhands。Heslippedintotheunknown。
Howlongafterwardconsciouslifereturnedtohimhedidnotknow。