A Voice from the Grave

He hath a word for thee to speak. KEBLE.

No difference was made to Aurelia's visits to Mr. Belamour on Sunday evenings, but he respected her scruples against indulgence in profane literature, and encouraged her to repeat passages of Scripture, beginning to taste the beauty of the grand cadences falling from her soft measured voice. Thus had she come to the Sermon on the Mount, and found herself repeating the expansion of the Sixth Commandment ending with, "And thou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee, thou shalt not come out thence until thou hast paid the uttermost farthing."

A groan startled her. Then came the passage and the unhappy man's history with a sudden stab. A horror of the darkness fell on her. She felt as if he were in the prison and she reproaching him, and cried out--"O sir, forgive me. I forgot; I did not say it on purpose."

"No, my child, it was Mary speaking by your voice. No, Mary, I shall never come out. It will never be paid."

She shook with fright as Jumbo touched her, saying, "Missee, go; mas'r bear no more;" but, as she rose to go away, a sweet impulse made her pause and say, "It is paid, He paid. You know Who did--in his own Blood."

Jumbo drew her away almost by force, and when outside, exclaimed, "Missee never speak of blood or kill to mas'r--he not bear it. Head turn again--see shapes as bad as ever."