"And he knew that you hated Sinclair! Knew that Sinclair had come to my house with the fever on him--knew that he had lifted my poor bairn, only that he might give her the death-kiss!" "No, no! How could any father, any man, be as bad as that, Nanna?" "You know not how bad the devil can make a man when he enters into him. And how could the minister send you such a hard road?" "It was made easy to me; it was indeed, Nanna. The sensible presence of God, and the shining of his face on me, though only for a moment, made me willing to give up all my anger and all my revenge, and wait on my enemy, and do what I could for him to the last moment." "And Vala? How could you forget her?" "I did not forget her. I was feared for the child, though I would not say that to you. Barbara told me she had fret all night, and when I said it would be for her mother, the woman shook her head in a way that made me tremble. I was on my way to see her and you when I met the minister, and he sent me the other way." "Why did you not tell him that you feared for Vala?" "I said that, and he said, 'Nanna will be able to care for the little one; but there is a strong man needed to care for her husband; Nicol Sinclair will be hard to manage.' And then he minded me of the man's sinful life, and he said peradventure it might be the purpose of God even yet to give him another opportunity for repentance through me." "If he had known Nicol Sinclair as I--" "Yes, Nanna, but it is an awful thing to die eternally. If I could help to save any one from such a fate, even my worst enemy,--even your enemy and Vala's,--what should I have done? Tell me." "Just what you did. You have done right. Yes; though the man killed Vala, you have done right! You have done right!" "I knew that would be your last word." "Did he have one good thought, one prayer, to meet death with?" "He did not. It was a wild night when he was in the dead thraws--a wild night for the flitting; and he went out in storm and darkness, and the sea carried him away." "God have mercy upon him! I have not a tear left for Nicol Sinclair." "It was an awful death; but on the same night there was a very good death after a very good life. You have heard, Nanna?" "I have heard nothing. For many days all has been still and tidingless. The fever is in every house, and no one comes near but the doctor, and he speaks only to the sick." "Well, then, the good minister has gone home. He was taken with the fever while giving the sacrament to Elder Somerlid. And he knew that he would die, for he said, 'John Somerlid, we shall very soon drink this cup together in the house of our Father in heaven.' So when he got back to the manse he sent for Elder Peterson, and gave him his last words." "And I know well that they would be good words." "They were like himself, full of hope. He spoke about his books, and the money in his desk to pay all his debts, and then he said: