THE ENGLISH REVIEW

They could imagine her smoothing the bedclothes over
the shoulders of the soothed children.

"Is he drunk ? " asked the girl, timidly, faintly.

"No ! Don't be silly. He -- he's asleep."

"Is he asleep downstairs ? "

"Yes -- and don't wake him."

There was silence for a moment, then the men heard the
frightened child again :

"What's that noise ? Is it him asleep ?"

"Yes ! He's all right, what are you bothering for ?"

The noise was the grandmother moaning. She was quite
oblivious of everything, sitting on her chair rocking and moaning.
The manager put his hand on her arm and bade her "Sh -- sh ! !"

The old woman opened her eyes and looked at him. She
was shocked by this interruption, so she became quiet.

"What time is it ?" -- the plaintive thin voice of the child,
sinking back into sleep, asked this last question.

"Ten o'clock," answered the mother softly. Then she
must have bent down and kissed the children.

Matthews beckoned to the men to come away. They put
on their caps and took up the stretcher. Stepping over the
body, they tiptoed out of the house. None of them spoke till
they were far from the wakeful children.

When Elizabeth came down she found her mother alone on
the parlour floor, with the face of her son between her hands,
the tears dropping on him.

"We must lay him out," the wife whispered softly. She
put on the kettle, then returning knelt at the feet, and
began to unfasten the knotted leather laces. The room was
very dim with only one candle, so that she had to bend her face
almost to the floor. At last she got off the heavy boots and put
them away. She pulled off his stockings, vexed by the knot of
the dirty tape garter. Like most miners, he was fairly clean
in his person, so that she was not ashamed for him. Elizabeth
unfastened the leathern belt from round his waist.

"You must help me now," she whispered reverently to
the old woman. Together they stripped the man.

When they arose, saw him lying in the reckless dignity of
death, both women bowed in primeval awe, while the tears of
motherhood rose in each. For a few moments they stood
religiously silent. Then the mother-feeling prevailed. Eliza-
beth knelt down, put her arms round him, laid her cheek on
his breast. He was still warm, for the mine was hot where he
had died. His mother had his face between her hands, and

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