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。