The lovely face, so white and still, with the dark fringe of the lashes lying on the cheeks, seemed so heavenly pure and peaceful that a strange awe stole over the mother’s heart, and she murmured: “My angel child, how sweetly wise you look, as if already you had fathomed the divine mysteries of heaven.” Then her sorrow overwhelmed her again, and, quite forgetting Fair Fielding and her troubles, she bowed her head on her hand, and the waves of despair rolled over her. Meanwhile Fair had lain down, as Mrs. Howard had directed, and fallen asleep upon the luxurious bed. When the maid went in to see after her, a little later, she found that her breath was hurried and labored, and her face crimson with fever. Days of delirious pain followed, and when Fair at last awoke to consciousness Azalia Howard had been buried more than a week, and the bereaved mother, with her sad, gentle, blue eyes, sat watching her protégée with anxious interest. “Mother!” Fair murmured restlessly; and then, as she met the gaze of those anxious eyes, memory rushed over her again, and she knew that the mother on whom she called was dead, and that this gentle lady was the only friend she had on earth save Sadie Allen, the poor working girl. But Mrs. Howard, as she heard that tender name fall from Fair’s lips, fancied that it was applied to herself, and smiled gently as she said: “Yes, call me mother, dear girl, for from henceforth you are my adopted child, and my heart hungers for some one to call me mother.” Fair’s eyes dilated with wondering joy, and Mrs. Howard leaned over her, and continued, gravely and sweetly: “I cannot tell whether it came to me in a dream or a vision, Fair, but on the day when you came to me I sat down by my dead daughter and gave myself up to bitter despair at her death, almost arraigning Heaven for taking her from me. But, little by little, that bitter mood passed away, and a deep calm stole over me, mixed with holy awe. It seemed to me that Azalia stood beside me in angelic form and bade me take you, my child, into her place on earth, and let you comfort me for her loss. She said that Heaven had sent you to me to fill up the aching void in my heart left there by her death. Oh, child, do you think that this was only a dream, or a sweet vision granted me by Heaven?” “I cannot tell,” murmured Fair, in awe and wonder. “I do not think that I was asleep,” continued Mrs. Howard. “Indeed, I feel certain I was not; so I firmly believe it was a reality, and I promised my angel daughter that I would do as she wished.” Tears of joy and gratitude brimmed over in Fair’s large dark eyes and fell upon her cheeks. She could not speak, so strong was her emotion, and Mrs. Howard said: