'Chris,' she said, very seriously, 'you loved me too much.' 'That could not be, Jessie.' 'It could and can be. In your love for me you forgot some one else, a thousand million times better than I am, Chris.' 'My mother?' 'Your mother. I reproached myself every day and every night for being the cause of it. I was afraid that your attachment to that dearest angel on earth was growing weaker and weaker, and I knew that I was the cause of it. I saw the pain, the unutterable pain, my dear, that your neglect of your mother was causing her tender heart, and I was continually striving to discover in what way you could be 'brought to learn how much more pure and beautiful and sacred her love was than mine. If things had gone on in the same way, I should have run away as it was, Chris, so that you might have been forced to seek for comfort in the shelter of her love. Do you understand me, my dear? Your love for me made you colour-blind.' How much dearer this confession made Jessie to me I need not describe. 'I see things in a better light now, my darling,' I said humbly; 'I am not colour-blind now.' Uncle Bryan and my mother would not have disturbed us all the night if we had not called to them to come in and share our happiness. Those who understand the strength and purity of love can understand by what links of tender feeling we were henceforward bound to one another--sacred links which death itself will be powerless to sever. Jessie sat on a stool at her father's feet; my mother and I sat close to them, my hand on Jessie's neck, clasped in one of hers. It must have been two o'clock in the morning, and we were still talking, unconscious of the hour, when a great thumping was heard at the street-door. I jumped to my feet, and opened the door, and Josey West ran in. 'I couldn't help it, my dears,' she cried; 'I know I have no business here, but I should have done something desperate if I hadn't run round to see how you were all getting on. I went to bed, but as I'm a living woman I couldn't sleep a wink; so I got out of bed and dressed myself, and thought, I'll just see if there's a light in the shop. And when I came and saw the light, how could I help knocking? Well, Chris, how do you like the second act? Better than the first? I do believe, as the speechmakers say, this is the happiest day of my life.' And the queer good little woman fell to crying and kissing us. I am afraid you would scarcely believe me if I were to tell you at what time we went to bed that morning. CHAPTER LI. MY MOTHER'S BIBLE. I resume my pen after an interval of two years. Within a few weeks after the events described in the last chapter Jessie and I were married. There were six bridesmaids, Josey and Florry West, and their four little sisters. On that day my mother gave uncle Bryan a Bible.