Arthurpressedhishand，andafteramoment’ssilencewenton，“Yousay，Tom，youwanttopleasetheDoctor。Now，doyouwanttopleasehimbywhathethinksyoudo，orbywhatyoureallydo？“
“BywhatIreallydo，ofcourse。“
“Doeshethinkyouusecribsandvulgus-books？“
Tomfeltatoncethathisflankwasturned，buthecouldn’tgivein。“HewasatWinchesterhimself，“saidhe；“heknowsallaboutit。“
“Yes；butdoeshethinkyouusethem？Doyouthinkheapprovesofit？“
“Youyoungvillain！“saidTom，shakinghisfistatArthur，halfvexedandhalfpleased，“Ineverthinkaboutit。Hangit！
there，perhapshedon’t。Well，Isupposehedon’t。“
Arthursawthathehadgothispoint；heknewhisfriendwell，andwaswiseinsilenceasinspeech。Heonlysaid，“Iwouldsoonerhavethedoctor’sgoodopinionofmeasIreallyamthananyman’sintheworld。“
Afteranotherminute，Tombeganagain，“Lookhere，youngun。
HowonearthamItogettimetoplaythematchesthishalfifI
giveupcribs？We’reinthemiddleofthatlongcrabbedchorusintheAgamemnon。Icanonlyjustmakeheadortailofitwiththecrib。Thenthere’sPericles’sspeechcomingoninThucydides，and’TheBirds’togetupfortheexamination，besidestheTacitus。“Tomgroanedatthethoughtofhisaccumulatedlabours。“Isay，youngun，there’sonlyfiveweeksorsolefttoholidays。Mayn’tIgoonasusualforthishalf？
I’lltelltheDoctoraboutitsomeday，oryoumay。“
Arthurlookedoutofthewindow。Thetwilighthadcomeon，andallwassilent。Herepeatedinalowvoice:“InthisthingtheLordpardonthyservant，thatwhenmymastergoethintothehouseofRimmontoworshipthere，andheleanethonmyhand，andIbowdownmyselfinthehouseofRimmon，whenIbowdownmyselfinthehouseofRimmon，theLordpardonthyservantinthisthing。“
Notawordmorewassaidonthesubject，andtheboyswereagainsilent——oneofthoseblessed，shortsilencesinwhichtheresolveswhichcolouralifearesooftentaken。
Tomwasthefirsttobreakit。“You’vebeenveryillindeed，haven’tyou，Geordie？“saidhe，withamixtureofaweandcuriosity，feelingasifhisfriendhadbeen1nsomestrangeplaceorscene，ofwhichhecouldformnoidea，andfullofthememoryofhisownthoughtsduringthelastweek。
“Yes，very。I’msuretheDoctorthoughtIwasgoingtodie。HegavemetheSacramentlastSunday，andyoucan’tthinkwhatheiswhenoneisill。Hesaidsuchbrave，andtender，andgentlethingstome，Ifeltquitelightandstrongafterit，andneverhadanymorefear。Mymotherbroughtouroldmedicalman，whoattendedmewhenIwasapoorsicklychild。Hesaidmyconstitutionwasquitechanged，andthatI’mfitforanythingnow。Ifithadn’t，Icouldn’thavestoodthreedaysofthisillness。That’sallthankstoyou，andthegamesyou’vemademefondof。“
“MorethankstooldMartin，“saidTom；“he’sbeenyourrealfriend。“
“Nonsense，Tom；henevercouldhavedoneformewhatyouhave。“
“Well，Idon’tknow；Ididlittleenough。Didtheytellyou——
youwon’tmindhearingitnow，Iknow——thatpoorThompsondiedlastweek？Theotherthreeboysaregettingquiteround，likeyou。“
“Ohyes，Iheardofit。“
ThenTom，whowasquitefullofit，toldArthuroftheburial-
serviceinthechapel，andhowithadimpressedhim，and，hebelieved，alltheotherboys。“AndthoughtheDoctorneversaidawordaboutit，“saidhe，“anditwasahalf-holidayandmatch-
day，therewasn’tagameplayedintheclosealltheafternoon，andtheboysallwentaboutasifitwereSunday。“
“I’mverygladofit，“saidArthur。“But，Tom，I’vehadsuchstrangethoughtsaboutdeathlately。I’venevertoldasoulofthem，notevenmymother。SometimesIthinkthey’rewrong，but，doyouknow，Idon’tthinkinmyheartIcouldbesorryatthedeathofanyofmyfriends。“
Tomwastakenquiteaback。“Whatintheworldistheyoungunafternow？“thoughthe；“I’veswallowedagoodmanyofhiscrotchets，butthisaltogetherbeatsme。Hecan’tbequiterightinhishead。“Hedidn’twanttosayaword，andshiftedaboutuneasilyinthedark；however，Arthurseemedtobewaitingforananswer，soatlasthesaid，“Idon’tthinkIquiteseewhatyoumean，Geordie。One’stoldsooftentothinkaboutdeaththatI’vetrieditonsometimes，especiallythislastweek。Butwewon’ttalkofitnow。I’dbettergo。You’regettingtired，andIshalldoyouharm。“
“No，no；indeedIain’t，Tom。Youmuststoptillnine；there’sonlytwentyminutes。I’vesettledyoushallstoptillnine。
Andoh！doletmetalktoyou——Imusttalktoyou。Iseeit’sjustasIfeared。YouthinkI’mhalfmad。Don’tyou，now？“
“Well，Ididthinkitoddwhatyousaid，Geordie，asyouaskme。“
Arthurpausedamoment，andthensaidquickly，“I’lltellyouhowitallhappened。Atfirst，whenIwassenttothesick-
room，andfoundIhadreallygotthefever，Iwasterriblyfrightened。IthoughtIshoulddie，andIcouldnotfaceitforamoment。Idon’tthinkitwassheercowardiceatfirst，butI
thoughthowharditwastobetakenawayfrommymotherandsistersandyouall，justasIwasbeginningtoseemywaytomanythings，andtofeelthatImightbeamananddoaman’swork。Todiewithouthavingfought，andworked，andgivenone’slifeaway，wastoohardtobear。Igotterriblyimpatient，andaccusedGodofinjustice，andstrovetojustifymyself。AndtheharderIstrovethedeeperIsank。Thentheimageofmydearfatheroftencameacrossme，butIturnedfromit。Wheneveritcame，aheavy，numbingthrobseemedtotakeholdofmyheart，andsay，’Dead-dead-dead。’AndIcriedout，’Theliving，thelivingshallpraiseThee，OGod；thedeadcannotpraisethee。
Thereisnoworkinthegrave；inthenightnomancanwork。
ButIcanwork。Icandogreatthings。Iwilldogreatthings。
Whywiltthouslayme？’AndsoIstruggledandplunged，deeperanddeeper，andwentdownintoalivingblacktomb。Iwasalonethere，withnopowertostirorthink；alonewithmyself；beyondthereachofallhumanfellowship；beyondChrist’sreach，I
thought，inmynightmare。You，whoarebraveandbrightandstrong，canhavenoideaofthatagony。PraytoGodyounevermay。Prayasforyourlife。“
Arthurstopped——fromexhaustion，Tomthought；butwhatbetweenhisfearlestArthurshouldhurthimself，hisawe，andhislongingforhimtogoon，hecouldn’task，orstirtohelphim。
Presentlyhewenton，butquitecalmandslow。“Idon’tknowhowlongIwasinthatstate——formorethanaday，Iknow；forIwasquiteconscious，andlivedmyouterlifeallthetime，andtookmymedicines，andspoketomymother，andheardwhattheysaid。ButIdidn’ttakemuchnoteoftime。Ithoughttimewasoverforme，andthatthattombwaswhatwasbeyond。Well，onlastSundaymorning，asIseemedtolieinthattomb，alone，asIthought，foreverandever，theblack，deadwallwascleftintwo，andIwascaughtupandbornethroughintothelightbysomegreatpower，someliving，mightyspirit。Tom，doyourememberthelivingcreaturesandthewheelsinEzekiel？Itwasjustlikethat。’Whentheywent，Iheardthenoiseoftheirwings，likethenoiseofgreatwaters，asthevoiceoftheAlmighty，thevoiceofspeech，asthenoiseofanhost；whentheystood，theyletdowntheirwings。’’Andtheywenteveryonestraightforward:whitherthespiritwastogo，theywent；
andtheyturnednotwhentheywent。’Andwerushedthroughthebrightair，whichwasfullofmyriadsoflivingcreatures，andpausedonthebrinkofagreatriver。Andthepowerheldmeup，andIknewthatthatgreatriverwasthegrave，anddeathdweltthere，butnotthedeathIhadmetintheblacktomb。That，I
felt，wasgoneforever。ForontheotherbankofthegreatriverIsawmenandwomenandchildrenrisinguppureandbright，andthetearswerewipedfromtheireyes，andtheyputongloryandstrength，andallwearinessandpainfellaway。
Andbeyondwereamultitudewhichnomancouldnumber，andtheyworkedatsomegreatwork；andtheywhorosefromtheriverwentonandjoinedinthework。Theyallworked，andeachworkedinadifferentway，butallatthesamework。AndIsawtheremyfather，andthemenintheoldtownwhomIknewwhenIwasachild——manyahard，sternman，whonevercametochurch，andwhomtheycalledatheistandinfidel。Theretheywere，sidebysidewithmyfather，whomIhadseentoilanddieforthem，andwomenandlittlechildren，andthesealwasontheforeheadsofall。AndIlongedtoseewhattheworkwas，andcouldnot；soI
triedtoplungeintheriver，forIthoughtIwouldjointhem，butIcouldnot。ThenIlookedabouttoseehowtheygotintotheriver。AndthisIcouldnotsee，butIsawmyriadsonthisside，andtheytooworked，andIknewthatitwasthesamework，andthesamesealwasontheirforeheads。AndthoughIsawthattherewastoilandanguishintheworkofthese，andthatmostthatwereworkingwereblindandfeeble，yetIlongednomoretoplungeintotheriver，butmoreandmoretoknowwhattheworkwas。AndasIlookedIsawmymotherandmysisters，andIsawtheDoctor，andyou，Tom，andhundredsmorewhomIknew；andatlastIsawmyselftoo，andIwastoilinganddoingeversolittleapieceofthegreatwork。Thenitallmeltedaway，andthepowerleftme，andasitleftmeIthoughtIheardavoicesay，’Thevisionisforanappointedtime；thoughittarry，waitforit，forintheenditshallspeakandnotlie，itshallsurelycome，itshallnottarry。’ItwasearlymorningIknow，then——itwassoquietandcool，andmymotherwasfastasleepinthechairbymybedside；butitwasn’tonlyadreamofmine。
Iknowitwasn’tadream。ThenIfellintoadeepsleep，andonlywokeafterafternoonchapel；andtheDoctorcameandgavemetheSacrament，asItoldyou。ItoldhimandmymotherI
shouldgetwell——IknewIshould；butIcouldn’ttellthemwhy。
