Rising suddenly out of the hollows where the streamlet ran, John Lee appeared within thirty yards of Grace, and, to his dismay and concern, discovered that she wept. Some coincidence of thought with the solemn natural things about her; some clash or chime of sadness at the spectacle of her future and the vast and featureless mountain uplifted before her eyes, struck the emotional chord that loosens tears, and Grace suffered them to flow and carry away a little of her sorrow in the glittering drops. She was young, and hope her proper heritage, therefore she grew happier presently, and when the miser's grandson appeared, hesitated, and, with a rueful countenance, began to creep away, she called to him and bade him come.
"I'm only crying, John Lee. Hast never seen a girl cry before?"
He advanced upon this, and his handsome young face was all blushes.
"Never, Miss Grace; an' never want to. I would I could take your trouble on my own shoulders."
"Not she. A granite wall sweats more moisture than her eyes fall tears. But you---- The young gentleman, your brother, died like a hero. 'Tis a great and noble thing to be a hero."
"How can a word stand for his dear beautiful face and bright eyes and kind voice? Never a maid had such a brother as Noel. Hero! Hero!" She lifted her voice bitterly. "An empty-handed, senseless sound to take the place of a dear brother. Not one pang does it lessen--no, not even in my father's heart, though he says the syllables over and over again, like a parrot. Our hope and our glory gone--that is what his death means."
"I can't say nothing--I wish I could. I'd go and die to-morrow if 'twould bring him back," declared John earnestly. "You'll think 'tis easy to tell such things, but God's my Judge, I mean it."
"You are not unlike him in a way, John. He had your manner of holding up his neck, and your mouth and your neat ears."
"I'm an awful fuzz-poll--like they curly-haired coloured men at the War Prison."
She did not answer for a moment, then spoke again of her sorrows.
"My heart's an empty nest now--all my plans to live with Noel for ever and love his children are broken down. And I had a secret hope that he"--she stopped, then decided to finish the sentence--"that he might soften my father."