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The sun was shining pleasantly across the level sands as she walked homeward, and each cliff cast a clear reflection of its figure at her feet; the soft and shining waves broke gently on the shore; and the sky was peaceful and cloudless, only a flock of white gulls were wheeling about in it, serving thus to increase its resemblance to its "twin deep," the blue sea, that was adorned, not far from the horizon, with a fleet of small fishing-vessels, whose white sails were lovely in the sunshine.

The lady walked till she came to a large cave in the cliff, about half a mile from the poor old fisherman's cottage. Here she had sometimes sat with Matt, teaching him his plaiting; and here she now entered and sat down to rest after her long walk.

It was a strange place, -- more a cleft in the rock than an ordinary cave, for it narrowed up above to a mere crack, which crack was strangely and beautifully festooned with hanging ferns of the brightest green; for they were constantly kept moist by the drops of water that filtered through the stone.

The sun was now low enough to shine into the dark cavern and make it warm and cheerful, and to show with clear distinctness the limpets that stuck to the rocks which here and there protruded from the soft sand which floored it, and the little pools of sea-water that lay about in stony basins. These basins were rugged, and covered without with green weeds, and within fringed with red and brown dulse and sea-weeds, and the tiny little fish were impatiently swimming about in them, and small crabs of the hermit tribe were dragging their bright shell-houses along the slippery margins.

She sat down beside one of these little rocky reservoirs, and enjoyed the sunshine and shelter, thinking, meanwhile, how she could further help and teach the poor child who had now so large a share of her sympathy. She decided that it was as well he should be out of the way of his relations on the day of the funeral, both for their sake and his own; and she accordingly resolved to ascertain when it was to take place, and bring him there to sit with her till it should be over.

Accordingly, she made her appearance at the cottage on the morning of the funeral, and took away the boy.

She found him still "ready," still prepared and expectant, still occupied with the belief that God would fetch him, and that perhaps it might be "to-day."

She took him to the cave, that he might not see the mournful cavalcade proceed from the cottage-door; and when he was tired of plaiting straw and of looking at the little imprisoned fishes swimming about in their brown basins of rock, she opened her basket and gave him a nice dinner, such as she knew he would like.

Matt was very happy; and when he had done eating he sat basking in the entrance of the cavern, pleased with watching the numerous rock-pigeons that flew about among the cliffs and brushed past with their opalized wings and glossy necks, to peck at the seed-corn which his friend threw out to them.

He had made her wash his hands when he had finished his meal, and he had put on his cap, -- his best cap, -- and was sitting ready. In spite of all his amusement in watching the blue pigeons, he was still ready, still conscious of an expected summons; and when the last grain of corn had been carried up to the young birds in the nests, and all the sand was imprinted with the feet of the pretty parents, he withdrew his eyes from the place where they had fluttered and striven, and fixed them once more on the open heavens.

"Is Matt sorry that his grandfather is gone?" asked his friend.

Matt answered, "No;" and said he wanted to go, too; and then, in his imperfect way, partly in words and partly by signs, he inquired what kind of a place it was where God lives.

"It was never cold," she replied; "always warm and pleasant; Matt would never cry when he got there."

"Would nobody beat Matt there?" asked the child wistfully; "wouldn't Rob beat him?"

"No; when Matt went to be with God, nobody would beat him any more."

A gleam of joy stole over the boy's face as he sat pondering over these good tidings; then with a sorrowful sigh he said, "Rob often beats Matt now." But at that moment the soft sound of a tolling bell was heard in the cave, and he turned his head to listen. It was the bell for his grandfather's funeral; and it was touching to see him amused and pleased with it, unconscious what it portended.

They stayed a long time in the cave; the boy being amused and diverted by the various things his friend found for him to look at, and by a grotto that she had made for him with loose scollop shells; but in the midst of his pleasure that gleam of joy would often return to his face, and he would exultingly repeat that "some day he should go to God, and nobody should beat him any more."

At last, when the sound of the bell had long ceased, and the sun was shining full in at the mouth of the cavern, his friend took him home again; and finding the mourners already returned, left him with them, and took her leave, -- little thinking, as she walked across the cliffs to her residence, that in this life she was to behold him no more.