And Barry turned his face to the wall and died, whispering his love for her to the last. It was a strange scene, this midnight confessional between two men who, all unknown to each other, had striven for the same heart-goal--who in life would have been bitter and unrelenting rivals, but who met and parted amid the shadows of death as friends and brothers. Richard wrote it all to Joscelyn, eloquently, passionately; portraying faithfully every emotion of the dying man. "He loved you, Joscelyn, even as I do; only not so much, for methinks no man could do that. But he was brave and manly, and to have won his heart is proof of your sweetness and worth. He told me many things of that fearful night when I lay up in your garret, and downstairs you held your guests from all suspicion by your tact and courage. He hated Tarleton for his distrust of you, and I let him go to the far Shore in ignorance of how you saved me, fearing that he would not understand, and that his last moments would be imbittered by a useless jealousy. "Did you love him? Am I breaking your heart with this news, my best beloved? If so, remember, I beseech you, how my own would break to know it." And Joscelyn read the letter by the fading sunset, and then sat with wet eyes through the star-haunted gloaming, thinking of the young life that had gone out in the red trail of war. She missed him as it did not seem possible she could have missed any one who had been so short a while in her consciousness. And sitting thus alone with her sorrow, she felt a hand on hers and an arm slip around her neck. "Joscelyn, I could not stay away any longer," whispered Betty's voice in the dark. "I had both of your notes; I know you are sorry, and I miss you so much!" "Dear Betty, dear Betty, how glad I am you are come! I cannot tell you how lonely and wretched my life is, and now my--my true friend is gone!" and with her head on the girl's bosom, she gave way to a nervous sobbing. "Did you love him?" Betty asked, when at last she understood. "I--I do not know; but I have so few friends, and he loved me and trusted me, and I shall miss him." "Did you wish to marry him?" "I cannot say. Sometimes when I have been very lonely, and you all turned from me, I have thought I did. To marry him and go away to a new place and new friends seemed best. He was strong and brave, but he was gentle and considerate, and he never hectored me--a girl likes not to be hectored and quarrelled with in her courting." "No," answered Betty, sadly, understanding she had Richard in mind. Often, with a woman's instinct, she had pleaded with her brother to humour Joscelyn more in her way of looking at things; but he had chosen to attempt to set her right, or, at least, right as he saw it.