Arthurpressedhishand，andafteramoment’ssilencewenton，“Yousay，Tom，youwanttopleasetheDoctor。Now，doyouwanttopleasehimbywhathethinksyoudo，orbywhatyoureallydo？“
　　“BywhatIreallydo，ofcourse。“
　　“Doeshethinkyouusecribsandvulgus-books？“
　　Tomfeltatoncethathisflankwasturned，buthecouldn’tgivein。“HewasatWinchesterhimself，“saidhe；“heknowsallaboutit。“
　　“Yes；butdoeshethinkyouusethem？Doyouthinkheapprovesofit？“
　　“Youyoungvillain！“saidTom，shakinghisfistatArthur，halfvexedandhalfpleased，“Ineverthinkaboutit。Hangit！
　　there，perhapshedon’t。Well，Isupposehedon’t。“
　　Arthursawthathehadgothispoint；heknewhisfriendwell，andwaswiseinsilenceasinspeech。Heonlysaid，“Iwouldsoonerhavethedoctor’sgoodopinionofmeasIreallyamthananyman’sintheworld。“
　　Afteranotherminute，Tombeganagain，“Lookhere，youngun。
　　HowonearthamItogettimetoplaythematchesthishalfifI
　　giveupcribs？We’reinthemiddleofthatlongcrabbedchorusintheAgamemnon。Icanonlyjustmakeheadortailofitwiththecrib。Thenthere’sPericles’sspeechcomingoninThucydides，and’TheBirds’togetupfortheexamination，besidestheTacitus。“Tomgroanedatthethoughtofhisaccumulatedlabours。“Isay，youngun，there’sonlyfiveweeksorsolefttoholidays。Mayn’tIgoonasusualforthishalf？
　　I’lltelltheDoctoraboutitsomeday，oryoumay。“
　　Arthurlookedoutofthewindow。Thetwilighthadcomeon，andallwassilent。Herepeatedinalowvoice:“InthisthingtheLordpardonthyservant，thatwhenmymastergoethintothehouseofRimmontoworshipthere，andheleanethonmyhand，andIbowdownmyselfinthehouseofRimmon，whenIbowdownmyselfinthehouseofRimmon，theLordpardonthyservantinthisthing。“
　　Notawordmorewassaidonthesubject，andtheboyswereagainsilent——oneofthoseblessed，shortsilencesinwhichtheresolveswhichcolouralifearesooftentaken。
　　Tomwasthefirsttobreakit。“You’vebeenveryillindeed，haven’tyou，Geordie？“saidhe，withamixtureofaweandcuriosity，feelingasifhisfriendhadbeen1nsomestrangeplaceorscene，ofwhichhecouldformnoidea，andfullofthememoryofhisownthoughtsduringthelastweek。
　　“Yes，very。I’msuretheDoctorthoughtIwasgoingtodie。HegavemetheSacramentlastSunday，andyoucan’tthinkwhatheiswhenoneisill。Hesaidsuchbrave，andtender，andgentlethingstome，Ifeltquitelightandstrongafterit，andneverhadanymorefear。Mymotherbroughtouroldmedicalman，whoattendedmewhenIwasapoorsicklychild。Hesaidmyconstitutionwasquitechanged，andthatI’mfitforanythingnow。Ifithadn’t，Icouldn’thavestoodthreedaysofthisillness。That’sallthankstoyou，andthegamesyou’vemademefondof。“
　　“MorethankstooldMartin，“saidTom；“he’sbeenyourrealfriend。“
　　“Nonsense，Tom；henevercouldhavedoneformewhatyouhave。“
　　“Well，Idon’tknow；Ididlittleenough。Didtheytellyou——
　　youwon’tmindhearingitnow，Iknow——thatpoorThompsondiedlastweek？Theotherthreeboysaregettingquiteround，likeyou。“
　　“Ohyes，Iheardofit。“
　　ThenTom，whowasquitefullofit，toldArthuroftheburial-
　　serviceinthechapel，andhowithadimpressedhim，and，hebelieved，alltheotherboys。“AndthoughtheDoctorneversaidawordaboutit，“saidhe，“anditwasahalf-holidayandmatch-
　　day，therewasn’tagameplayedintheclosealltheafternoon，andtheboysallwentaboutasifitwereSunday。“
　　“I’mverygladofit，“saidArthur。“But，Tom，I’vehadsuchstrangethoughtsaboutdeathlately。I’venevertoldasoulofthem，notevenmymother。SometimesIthinkthey’rewrong，but，doyouknow，Idon’tthinkinmyheartIcouldbesorryatthedeathofanyofmyfriends。“
　　Tomwastakenquiteaback。“Whatintheworldistheyoungunafternow？“thoughthe；“I’veswallowedagoodmanyofhiscrotchets，butthisaltogetherbeatsme。Hecan’tbequiterightinhishead。“Hedidn’twanttosayaword，andshiftedaboutuneasilyinthedark；however，Arthurseemedtobewaitingforananswer，soatlasthesaid，“Idon’tthinkIquiteseewhatyoumean，Geordie。One’stoldsooftentothinkaboutdeaththatI’vetrieditonsometimes，especiallythislastweek。Butwewon’ttalkofitnow。I’dbettergo。You’regettingtired，andIshalldoyouharm。“
　　“No，no；indeedIain’t，Tom。Youmuststoptillnine；there’sonlytwentyminutes。I’vesettledyoushallstoptillnine。
　　Andoh！doletmetalktoyou——Imusttalktoyou。Iseeit’sjustasIfeared。YouthinkI’mhalfmad。Don’tyou，now？“
　　“Well，Ididthinkitoddwhatyousaid，Geordie，asyouaskme。“
　　Arthurpausedamoment，andthensaidquickly，“I’lltellyouhowitallhappened。Atfirst，whenIwassenttothesick-
　　room，andfoundIhadreallygotthefever，Iwasterriblyfrightened。IthoughtIshoulddie，andIcouldnotfaceitforamoment。Idon’tthinkitwassheercowardiceatfirst，butI
　　thoughthowharditwastobetakenawayfrommymotherandsistersandyouall，justasIwasbeginningtoseemywaytomanythings，andtofeelthatImightbeamananddoaman’swork。Todiewithouthavingfought，andworked，andgivenone’slifeaway，wastoohardtobear。Igotterriblyimpatient，andaccusedGodofinjustice，andstrovetojustifymyself。AndtheharderIstrovethedeeperIsank。Thentheimageofmydearfatheroftencameacrossme，butIturnedfromit。Wheneveritcame，aheavy，numbingthrobseemedtotakeholdofmyheart，andsay，’Dead-dead-dead。’AndIcriedout，’Theliving，thelivingshallpraiseThee，OGod；thedeadcannotpraisethee。
　　Thereisnoworkinthegrave；inthenightnomancanwork。
　　ButIcanwork。Icandogreatthings。Iwilldogreatthings。
　　Whywiltthouslayme？’AndsoIstruggledandplunged，deeperanddeeper，andwentdownintoalivingblacktomb。Iwasalonethere，withnopowertostirorthink；alonewithmyself；beyondthereachofallhumanfellowship；beyondChrist’sreach，I
　　thought，inmynightmare。You，whoarebraveandbrightandstrong，canhavenoideaofthatagony。PraytoGodyounevermay。Prayasforyourlife。“
　　Arthurstopped——fromexhaustion，Tomthought；butwhatbetweenhisfearlestArthurshouldhurthimself，hisawe，andhislongingforhimtogoon，hecouldn’task，orstirtohelphim。
　　Presentlyhewenton，butquitecalmandslow。“Idon’tknowhowlongIwasinthatstate——formorethanaday，Iknow；forIwasquiteconscious，andlivedmyouterlifeallthetime，andtookmymedicines，andspoketomymother，andheardwhattheysaid。ButIdidn’ttakemuchnoteoftime。Ithoughttimewasoverforme，andthatthattombwaswhatwasbeyond。Well，onlastSundaymorning，asIseemedtolieinthattomb，alone，asIthought，foreverandever，theblack，deadwallwascleftintwo，andIwascaughtupandbornethroughintothelightbysomegreatpower，someliving，mightyspirit。Tom，doyourememberthelivingcreaturesandthewheelsinEzekiel？Itwasjustlikethat。’Whentheywent，Iheardthenoiseoftheirwings，likethenoiseofgreatwaters，asthevoiceoftheAlmighty，thevoiceofspeech，asthenoiseofanhost；whentheystood，theyletdowntheirwings。’’Andtheywenteveryonestraightforward:whitherthespiritwastogo，theywent；
　　andtheyturnednotwhentheywent。’Andwerushedthroughthebrightair，whichwasfullofmyriadsoflivingcreatures，andpausedonthebrinkofagreatriver。Andthepowerheldmeup，andIknewthatthatgreatriverwasthegrave，anddeathdweltthere，butnotthedeathIhadmetintheblacktomb。That，I
　　felt，wasgoneforever。ForontheotherbankofthegreatriverIsawmenandwomenandchildrenrisinguppureandbright，andthetearswerewipedfromtheireyes，andtheyputongloryandstrength，andallwearinessandpainfellaway。
　　Andbeyondwereamultitudewhichnomancouldnumber，andtheyworkedatsomegreatwork；andtheywhorosefromtheriverwentonandjoinedinthework。Theyallworked，andeachworkedinadifferentway，butallatthesamework。AndIsawtheremyfather，andthemenintheoldtownwhomIknewwhenIwasachild——manyahard，sternman，whonevercametochurch，andwhomtheycalledatheistandinfidel。Theretheywere，sidebysidewithmyfather，whomIhadseentoilanddieforthem，andwomenandlittlechildren，andthesealwasontheforeheadsofall。AndIlongedtoseewhattheworkwas，andcouldnot；soI
　　triedtoplungeintheriver，forIthoughtIwouldjointhem，butIcouldnot。ThenIlookedabouttoseehowtheygotintotheriver。AndthisIcouldnotsee，butIsawmyriadsonthisside，andtheytooworked，andIknewthatitwasthesamework，andthesamesealwasontheirforeheads。AndthoughIsawthattherewastoilandanguishintheworkofthese，andthatmostthatwereworkingwereblindandfeeble，yetIlongednomoretoplungeintotheriver，butmoreandmoretoknowwhattheworkwas。AndasIlookedIsawmymotherandmysisters，andIsawtheDoctor，andyou，Tom，andhundredsmorewhomIknew；andatlastIsawmyselftoo，andIwastoilinganddoingeversolittleapieceofthegreatwork。Thenitallmeltedaway，andthepowerleftme，andasitleftmeIthoughtIheardavoicesay，’Thevisionisforanappointedtime；thoughittarry，waitforit，forintheenditshallspeakandnotlie，itshallsurelycome，itshallnottarry。’ItwasearlymorningIknow，then——itwassoquietandcool，andmymotherwasfastasleepinthechairbymybedside；butitwasn’tonlyadreamofmine。
　　Iknowitwasn’tadream。ThenIfellintoadeepsleep，andonlywokeafterafternoonchapel；andtheDoctorcameandgavemetheSacrament，asItoldyou。ItoldhimandmymotherI
　　shouldgetwell——IknewIshould；butIcouldn’ttellthemwhy。