nor had she fainted. Her restless hands were quiet, and her worn-out
face, although it looked deadly pale, was peaceful. Here eyes looked
a little upwards, and in them there was a contented smile. Bet saw the
look, and nothing in all the world could have horrified her more. Her
mother, who thought religion beyond anything else, had just heard her
say that never, never, even to smooth a dying pillow, could she, Bet,
take up with the ways of the religious; and yet her eyes smiled and
she looked content.

"Mother, you don't even care," said Bet, in an anguish of pain and
inconsistency.

"O, yes, child, I care; but I seem to hear Him as knows best saying
'Leave it to me.' I ain't fretting, child; I has come to a place where
no one frets, and you're either all in despair, or you're as still and
calm and happy"--here she broke off abruptly. "Bet, I want yer to be
good to the little boys--to stand atween them and their father, and
not to larn them no bad ways They're wild little chaps, and they take
to the bad as easy as easy; but you can do whatever yer likes with
them. Your father, he don't care for nobody, and he'd do them an ill
turn; but you'll stand atween them and him--d'ye hear, Bet?"

"Yes, mother--I'll make a promise about that, if you like."

"No, no; you never broke your word, and saying it once'll content me."

"Mother," said Bet, suddenly. "Mebbe you'd like the little chaps to
turn religious. As you've allays set such a deal of store on prayers
and sich like, mebbe you'd like it for them?"