He made a desperate but ineffectual effort to steady the pen on the spot she indicated. "I cannot do it," he said, as the quill dropped loosely in his numbed fingers; "and my mark must suffice. But 'twill serve--'twill serve. Set the paper close--closer;" and then with infinite labour he made the cross mark. "Ruth Rumbold!" he cried, as he moved his hand, and the full light of the lamp fell upon the clear, boldly-marked characters of her signature beneath. "This man--Richard Rumbold's--daughter!" and his eyes fixed upon her in a stare of mingled horror and pity. She nodded her head slowly up and down. "Did you not know?" she said, meeting his gaze with sad, appealing looks--"did you not know he was my father?" "Then Heaven help thee, poor child, and comfort thee, for thou hast need of it indeed, poor innocent!" Then his voice fell away into uneasy inaudible murmurings. His eyes closed again, and presently he seemed to sleep. And so till dawn slowly began to silver the fresh young leaves about the ivy panes, and creep on into the room towards the dark recess, spreading itself gently on the white, still face of the dying man, and the hardly more life-like one of the watcher, there was silence. But just as the song of the birds trilled cheerily forth, he stirred slightly. "Art thou there?" he murmured, feebly stretching out his hand. "I am here, dear Master Goodenough!" she said, kneeling beside him and covering the pale fingers in her gentle clasp. "God bless thee, child!" and he drew her hand close towards his lips: "for thy sweet charity God bless--" [Sidenote: Death of Goodenough.] And in a smile of content the lips parted slightly, a low sigh broke from them, and Master Goodenough was dead. CHAPTER XXIV. LAWRENCE SLEEPS ON IT. "Now, Friend What-d'ye-call-'em, are you going to accept his majesty's polite invitation? or d'ye mean to stand staring all day like a stuck pig, at your brother-porker's pate here?" The dig in the ribs accompanying these words, which were rendered bewilderingly indistinct by reason of the quantity of the toothsome edibles he referred to, filling the speaker's mouth, materially assisted Lee to catch something of their signification; and he started from the reverie into which he had fallen. "Your majesty--" he began, looking round with dazed, uneasy eyes, and staggering forward a pace or two. "Ha! ha! ha! That's excellent!" broke out a laughing chorus. "Your majesty! Hear the fellow! Are his wits clean gone? I' faith, he looks something like it! Majesty forsooth! There's none of it here, friend; unless we're to be having you for a change. Come, Master Up-in-the-clouds, out with you! Was ever such insolence! Out with you! D'ye hear?"