"Only once during his illness did he allude
to Philip Steele, and then it was to tell me he
was doing well in the service he had first
entered. (I should have mentioned, by-the-by,
that a gentleman in court that—that day had
been so struck by his appearance and manner
of giving his evidence, that he made inquiries
about him, and ended by taking him as page.)

"' I could have wished to see him once again,'
my master said, ' and to have asked you both to
shake hands there, by my bedside.' (He was
confined to his bed now.) ' For you're a son of
mine, you know, Clem, and he's another; and I
can't have ill will between my boys. But now
I'll only say that if you wish to comfort my last
hours, you'll do your best to forgive him.'

"I tried to harden myself, but it wouldn't do.
I saw the earnest look of his poor eyes, and I
couldn't resist it.

'"I will try, sir.'

"A squeeze of the hand was all his answer,
and he turned his face to the wall. But I knew
that I had given him infinite pleasure.

"He suffered much towards the close, but he
wanted for nothing. His poverty had been
discovered, and luxuries, delicate offerings,
substantial aid, poured in upon him from all sides.
Every comfort and alleviation that money could
procure were his in those last hours, whose
very liberality had not only kept him poor, but
had prevented others from realising how poor
he was.

"The end came. I can't describe it. Those
who saw, will never forget it.

"He had taken leave of me, and of some
others, hours before, for, unlike most persons in
his complaint, he was conscious he was dying.

"' Clem,' he said, ' let it cheer you in this
parting, to know that you've been the greatest
comfort to us both. And I know that you won't
forget me.'

"' Never, sir, whilst I live.'

"' But remember me for good, my boy. Let
my memory rouse you to resist evil. When
you're tempted, Clem—when you're tempted—
then remember me, and turn to Him!'

"He raised his thin white hand as he spoke,
with a gesture of indescribable power. There
was Heaven in his face then, the Heaven to
which he was hastening.

"He died not many hours after.

CHAPTER IV.

"ONE of the last things my master did, was
to obtain from Mr. Tudor, the rector (to whom
he had told my story), a promise that he would
take me under his especial protection, and never
rest till he had obtained me some employment.
When, therefore, that gentleman was shortly
after preferred to the deanery of R——, which
removed him to a distant county, he took me
into his own service as page. There I remained
a couple of years, giving entire satisfaction, as I
was told, but receiving very little; for there
was not much sympathy in that house. The
dean was absorbed in his learned books and
writings, and the dean's lady almost as much so
in fashionable visits. Still, everything was done
orderly in their establishment, and the dinners
were considered first rate. And I had reason to
be grateful to them, for, although they evidently
distrusted me at first, they kept my secret, and
thus gave me every chance of redeeming my
character. From them I went to a neighbouring
gentleman as second footman, and there
continued five years, leaving him to better
myself again by going to a widow lady of rank as
upper footman, with a considerable increase of
wages. Whilst with her, I became engaged to
a young fellow-servant, who, although decidedly
above me in rank (she was my lady's own maid),
allowed herself to be touched by my devotion,
and sincerely returned it. Fanny Pearson was
remarkable for her beauty, but still more for
her steadiness. We were too young and too
poor to marry then, of course (I was but six-
and-twenty, and she a twelvemonth younger),
but we agreed, with my lady's entire approbation,
that as soon as we should have saved
enough to make it prudent, we would set up in
business of some kind as man and wife.

"Nearly ten years had now passed since the
event I have related, and I did hope I had
really lived the hated evil down. But I never
forgot it. A thrill of horror would often dart
through me as I pictured to myself what I
should feel if that disgrace should ever reach to
Fanny's ears. Yet sometimes I half resolved
to tell her the whole, for I doubted whether it
was honest, whether it was justifiable, to keep
from her such a fact. But I had not the
courage to risk losing one I loved so dearly. I
pondered over it uneasily; but I held my
peace.

"When I had been rather more than three
years in my lady's service, certain family changes
obliged her to break up her establishment,
and join her son on the Continent. In
announcing to me this necessity, not without
expressing great regret at parting with me, she
said she hoped to help me to a far better and
more lucrative place than her own. I need not
say that I thankfully accepted her offer of a
strong written recommendation to Mr. Grant, a
friend of hers in London, who was looking out
for a very steady man-servant for his invalid
cousin, and set off for the metropolis to try my
luck. I found Mr. Grant the most fussy and
suspicious of mortals. He seemed to doubt
everything, to be on his guard at all points,
to be never tired of blessing his own soul and
body. After my second interview with him, he
wrote my lady a string of questions as long as
my arm, and appointed me a third time to learn
his final decision. I went, and was engaged.
My lady's answer had been more than
satisfactory. ' Bless my soul and body! quite out
of the way!'—and he handed me a note to take
at once to my future mistress, informing her I
was the servant he had engaged for her. As I
was about to leave the room, a footman entering,
informed him that the person who had
called so many times before about Mrs.
Hanway's place was there again now. ' Again!'