"'Of his remaining great deeds our chronicle says little; which is natural, as it is and proposes to be only a Hermannsburg chronicle. In the year 973, the same year that his great friend and benefactor Otto died, died also Hermann Billing, the freeman's son who had come to be Duke of Saxony. About his end the chronicle relates only that he was sick but a few days; that he wished for and received the Holy Supper before his death; admonished his son Benno, or Bernhard, who was his heir: "My son, be true to your God and your kaiser, a protector to the Church, and a father to your vassals;" laid his hands upon his head and blessed him; and then extended his hand to all his weeping servants who were assembled, commended them to the grace of God; and at last prayed--"Into Thy hands I commend my spirit; Thou hast redeemed me, Lord God of hosts." Then he softly fell asleep, and the same wonderful sweetness which in life had given such a charm to his face, in death put a very glory around his brow. "'King Otto the second honoured the true man's memory by confirming his son Bernhard, or Benno, as Duke of Saxony.'" CHAPTER VII. "Is that all?" said Maggie. "All in this place, about Hermann Billing." "I like him very much!" said Maggie drawing a deep sigh. "Notwithstanding he was such an incorruptible judge!" "Notwithstanding he was such a hard, cruel man, you should say," said Flora. "Ditto, you are ridiculous!" "It is a great mistake, you must remember, to judge a man of one time by the lights or laws of another." "There's a law of nature," said Flora, "in _some_ people, which makes them dislike to kill their relations." "There is a higher law than the law of nature. Nature did not prevent Abraham from making preparations to offer up Isaac. It did not hinder Moses"---- "I do not know what unnatural thing Moses did," said Flora; "but I confess to you, I think Abraham acted much more like a heathen than like a Christian in that event of his life." "Which only shows, that if you had been in his place you would have failed to manifest Abraham's faith, and so would have entirely missed Abraham's blessing. 'Because thou hast done this thing, saith the Lord, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son;' then the Lord went on to heap blessing upon him." "I don't see how Abraham could do it." "Because he trusted God. It is not _trust_, Flo, that will not go any further than it sees why." "Ditto, what are you going to read next?" said Maggie. "We'll see. Next thing, I think, will be the description Pastor Harms gives of that old church which Hermann Billing built; Hermann the duke, I mean. Don't you want to hear it?" "Oh, yes. The description of it as it is now?" "As it is now. But what a wonderful sort of a church is this we are in!" said Meredith looking up. "Here, this bank, do you mean?"