its effect with the confidence of a man who had long dealt with
cupidity. For a novelty, his calculation failed. The face of Dr.
Etherington flushed, then paled, and finally settled into a look of
melancholy reprehension. He arose and paced the room for several
minutes in silence; during which time his companion believed he was
debating with himself on the chances of obtaining a higher bid for
his consent, when he suddenly stopped and addressed my ancestor in a
mild but steady tone.

"I feel it to be a duty, Mr. Goldencalf," he said, "to admonish you
of the precipice over which you hang. The love of money, which is
the root of all evil, which caused Judas to betray even his Saviour
and God, has taken deep root in your soul. You are no longer young,
and although still proud in your strength and prosperity, are much
nearer to your great account than you may be willing to believe. It
is not an hour since you witnessed the departure of a penitent soul
for the presence of her God; since you heard the dying request from
her lips; and since, in such a presence and in such a scene, you
gave a pledge to respect her wishes, and, now, with the accursed
spirit of gain upper-most, you would trifle with these most sacred
obligations, in order to keep a little worthless gold in a hand that
is already full to overflowing. Fancy that the pure spirit of thy
confiding and single-minded wife were present at this conversation;
fancy it mourning over thy weakness and violated faith--nay, I know
not that such is not the fact; for there is no reason to believe
that the happy spirits are not permitted to watch near, and mourn
over us, until we are released from this mass of sin and depravity
in which we dwell--and, then, reflect what must be her sorrow at
hearing how soon her parting request is forgotten, how useless has
been the example of her holy end, how rooted and fearful are thine