“It is a very sad moment to be undeceived,” he said; “one would rather have one’s faults come to light in one’s life than afterwards.”

They were simple words, so simple that the terrible truth with which they were connected, did not come upon Rachel at the first moment; but as if to veil her agitation, she drew towards her a book, an ivory-bound Prayer-book, full of illuminations, of Bessie’s own doing, and her eye fell upon the awful verse, “So long as thou doest well unto thyself, men will speak good of thee.”  It was almost more than Rachel could bear, sitting in the midst of the hoards, for which poor Bessie had sold herself.  She rose up, with a sob of oppressive grief, and broke out, “Oh! at least it is a comfort that Alick was really the kindest and rightest!  Only too right! but you can settle all this without him,” she added imploringly; “need he know of this?  I can’t bear that he should.”

“Nor I,” said Colonel Keith, “it was the reason that I am glad you are here alone.”

“Oh, thank you!  No one need ever know,” added Rachel.

“I fear my brother must see the accounts, as they have to be paid, but that need not be immediately.”

“Is there anything else that is dreadful?” said Rachel, looking at the remaining papers, as if they were a nest of adders.  “I don’t like to take them home now, if they will grieve Alick.”

“You need not be afraid of that packet,” said the Colonel; “I see his father’s handwriting.  They look like his letters from India.”

Rachel looked into one or two, and her face lighted up.  “Oh!” she exclaimed, “this is enough to make up for all.  This is his letter to tell about Alick’s wound.  Oh how beautifully he speaks of him,” and Rachel, with no voice to read, handed the thin paper to her companion, that he might see the full commendation, that had been wrung from the reserved father’s heart by his son’s extremity.

“You must be prepared to hear that all is over,” wrote the father to his daughter; “in fact, I doubt whether he can live till morning, though M’Vicar declares that nothing vital has been touched.  Be it as it may, the boy has been in all respects, even more than I dared to wish, and the comfort he has been ever since he came out to me has been unspeakable.  We must not grudge him such a soldier’s death after his joyous life.  But for you, my poor girl, I could only wish the same for myself to-morrow.  You will, at least, if you lose a brother’s care, have a memory of him, to which to live up.  The thought of such a dead brother will be more to you than many a living one can ever be to a sister.”

Rachel’s heart beat high, and her eyes were full of tears of exultation.  And the Colonel was well pleased to compensate for all the pain he had inflicted by giving her all the details he could recollect of her husband’s short campaign.  They had become excellent friends over their mournful work, and were sorry to have their tete-a-tete interrupted when a message was brought that his Lordship was ready, if Mrs. Keith would be so good as to come into his sitting-room.