Miss Anne gazed earnestly at him, but she did not speak; she would not place herself between him and his dying enemy now.
'Come here, Stephen,' said the master, in a voice of hopeless agony.
'When little Nan was lying dead, you said you would wait, and see what God could do to me.

Come near, and hear, and see.

Death is nothing, boy; it will be only a glory to you to die.

But God is letting loose His terrors upon me; He is mocking at my soul, and laughing at my calamity.
Soon, soon I shall be in eternity, without hope, and without God.' 'Oh, master, master,' exclaimed Stephen, 'there is a time yet for our Father to forgive thee! It doesn't take long to forgive! It didn't take even me long to forgive; and oh, how quickly God can do it if you'll only ask Him!' 'Do you forgive me ?' asked the master, in astonishment.
'Ah,' he cried, 'I forgave thee long since, directly after I was ill.

It was God who helped me; and wouldn't He rather forgive thee Himself?
Oh, He loves thee! He taught me how to love thee; and could He do that if He didn't love thee His own self ?' 'If I could only believe in being forgiven!' said the dying man.
'Oh, believe it, dear master! See, I am here; I have forgiven thee, and I do love thee.