He sat gazing at his cousin, the man who had deceived and wronged him, and not him only, but those dearer to him than himself -- -the man whom, a day or two ago, he had altogether hated and despised.
He dared do neither now.

A heavier hand than that of mortal justice was upon his enemy.

Whatever Captain Bruce was, whatever he had been, he was now being taken away from all human judgment into the immediate presence of Him who is at once the Judge and the Pardoner of sinners.
Awe-struck, the earl sat and watched the young man (for he could not be thirty yet), struck down thus in the prime of his days--carried away into the other world--while he himself, with his frail, flickering taper of a life, remained.

Wherefore?
At length, in a whisper, he called "Helen!" and she came and knelt beside the earl's chair.
"He is fast going," said she.
"I see that." "In an hour or two, the doctor said." "Then I will stay, if I may ?" "Oh yes." Helen said it quite passively; indeed, her whole appearance as she moved about the room, and then took her seat by her husband's side, indicated one who makes no effort either to express or to restrain grief--who has, in truth, suffered till she can suffer no more.
The dying man was not so near death as the doctor had thought, for after a little he fell into what seemed a natural sleep.

Helen leant her head against the wall and closed her eyes.