Dreading a recall of his commission, Malcolm slipped from the room, sent Mrs. Courthope to take his place, and sped to the schoolmaster. The moment Mr. Graham heard the marquis's message he rose without a word and led the way from the cottage. Hardly a sentence passed between them as they went, for they were on a solemn errand. "Mr. Graham's here, my lord," said Malcolm. "Where? Not in the room?" returned the marquis. "Waitin' at the door, my lord." "Bah! You needn't have been so ready. Have you told the sexton to get a new spade? But you may let him in; and leave him alone with me." Mr. Graham walked gently up to the bedside. "Sit down, sir," said the marquis courteously, pleased with the calm, self-possessed, unobtrusive bearing of the man. "They tell me I'm dying, Mr. Graham." "I'm sorry it seems to trouble you, my lord." "What! wouldn't it trouble you, then?" "I don't think so, my lord." "Ah! you're one of the elect, no doubt?" "That's a thing I never did think about, my lord." "What do you think about, then?" "About God." "And when you die you'll go straight to heaven, of course?" "I don't know, my lord. That's another thing I never trouble my head about." "Ah! you're like me, then. _I_ don't care much about going to heaven. What do you care about?" "The will of God. I hope your lordship will say the same." "No I won't: I want my own will." "Well, that is to be had, my lord." "How?" "By taking his for yours as the better of the two, which it must be every way." "That's all moonshine." "It _is_ light, my lord." "Well, I don't mind confessing, if I am to die, I should prefer heaven to the other place, but I trust I have no chance of either. Do you now honestly believe there are two such places?" "I don't know, my lord." "You don't know? And you come here to comfort a dying man!" "Your lordship must first tell me what you mean by 'two _such_ places.' And as to comfort, going by my notions, I cannot tell which you would be more or less comfortable in; and that, I presume, would be the main point with your lordship." "And what, pray, sir, would be the main point with you?" "To get nearer to God." "Well, I can't say _I_ want to get nearer to God. It's little he's ever done for me." "It's a good deal he has tried to do for you, my lord." "Well, who interfered? Who stood in his way, then?" "Yourself, my lord." "I wasn't aware of it. When did he ever try to do anything for me and I stood in his way?" "When he gave you one of the loveliest of women, my lord," said Mr. Graham with solemn, faltering voice, "and you left her to die in neglect and her child to be brought up by strangers." The marquis gave a cry. The unexpected answer had roused the slowly-gnawing death and made it bite deeper. "What have _you_ to do," he almost screamed, "with my affairs? It was for _me_ to introduce what I chose of them. You presume." "Pardon me, my lord: you led me to what I was bound to say. Shall I leave you, my lord?"