When the youth at length appeared, Mademoiselle threw up her hands, exclaiming, piteously, "Oh, Monsieur Willikins! take us home; ma pauvre Fanfan will take a dreadful cold." Tony wrapped the dog up in his foot muff, and proceeded home as rapidly as they could go with safety. "We have had a jolly time, Mademoiselle," exclaimed Madeline. "I think the upset was the best part; none of us were hurt, and it was only a good joke after all." Little did Maddy know of the sorrow that was wringing the young hearts at the cottage. Not having heard for several days, the next morning Madeline started to see her friends. On entering the house, no one was visible; all was quiet, and she proceeded up stairs to the widow's chamber. Propped up with pillows, with a face as pale as the white sheet, and laboring for breath, she beheld her humble friend. Effie was sitting on one side of the bed, close to her mother, and Roland was reading the Bible to his declining parent. "'Let not your heart be troubled; ye believe in God, believe also in me; in my Father's house are many mansions.'" He stopped for one moment, but Madeline said, "Go on, Roland;" and, with his own rich voice, he proceeded to repeat a Psalm, "'I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills from whence cometh my help.'" "My help cometh even from the Lord, who hath made heaven and earth," responded the mother, with uplifted eyes and hands clasped over her panting breast. "Come here, Madeline, my dear child," said the fading Christian; "you see that it will not be long before I shall go home, and be no more seen; but remember what I tell you, that God is a sufficient refuge in this hour of trial, and the Saviour of sinners my all in all!" "Can you look up still, dear Mrs. Bruce?" asked Madeline, with deep solemnity. "Yes, my dear child; I know that he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. 'He will not suffer the sun to smite thee by day, nor the moon by night,' that is the promise, Maddy, and I believe it with all my heart; 'his rod and his staff they comfort me.'" "You will get better yet, Mrs. Bruce, I am sure," answered the child, "for I know that Roland and Effie pray for you, and God has promised to answer prayer." "Yes, he will answer us, when we ask with submission to his will; his will now is made clear and plain, my days on earth are drawing swiftly to a close. I am ready and willing to depart and be with Jesus, which is far better than to stay here; but to leave my darlings, Maddy, is a sore trial. You will not forget them, dear, when I am gone." "Forget your children! Never! I know none that I love so well; and so long as I live, they will find me, little Madeline, their true friend."