As  for  the  child  himself,  his  lot  was  a  happy  one,  if
we  could  but  see  what  the  world  is  really  worth.  He
was  always  a  bright  child,  that  never  cried,  nor  com-
plained :  his  first  trouble  was  his  last ;  one  day's  pain,
then  bliss  eternal :  he  never  got  poisoned  by  his  father's
spirit  of  hate,  but  loved  and  was  beloved  during  his  little
lifetime ;  and,  dying,  he  passed  from  his  Noah's  ark  to
an  inheritance  a  thousand  times  richer  than  Hunter-
combe,  Bassett,  and  all  his  cousin's  lands.
The  little  grave  was  dug,  the  bell  tolled,  and  a  man
bowed  double  with  grief  saw  his  child  and  his  ambition
laid  in  the  dust.
A  TBRRIBLB  TEMPTATION.  341

Lady  Bassett  heard  the  bell  tolled,  and  spoke  but  two
words :  "  Poor  woman. !  "

She  might  well  say  so.  Mrs.  Bassett  was  in  the  same
condition  as  herself,  yet  this  heavy  blovr  must  fall  on
her.
As  for  Eichard  Bassett,  he  sat  at  home,  bowed  down
and  stupid  with  grief.
Wheeler  came  one  day  to  console  him;  but,  at  the
sight  of  him  refrained  from  idle  words.  He  sat  down
by  him  for  an  hour,  in  silence.  Then  he  got  up  and  said
"  Good-by."

"  Thank  you,  old  friend,  for  not  insulting  me,"  said
Bassett,  in  a  broken  voice.
Wheeler  took  his  hand,  and  turned  away  his  head,  and
so  went  away,  with  a  tear  in  his  eye.
A  fortnight  after  this  he  came  again,  and  found  Bas-
sett in  the  same  attitude,  but  not  in  the  same  leaden
stupor.  On  the  contrary,  he  was  in  a  state  of  tremor ;
he  had  lost  under  the  late  blow  the  sanguine  mind  that
used  to  carry  him  through  everything.
