Page 139 - Fairbrass

long time, silently thinking of the old man,
solitary in life and friendless in death, and

of his first night in the churchyard. At

length, however, Pax dropped off to sleep,
and then the sister Poplars, gently rustling

and bending towards the window, ventured

to whisper their congratulations. At the
moment that was all they had to say, and

Fairbrass was glad of it, for he wanted to
be left to himself that night So strongly

did he feel this, that when his father and
mother came later into the room, and hand-

in-hand stood by his bedside looking at him,

he pretended to be asleep. He was glad
that he did so, for he loved to feel their

tender kisses on his face, and to hear them

say to each other that his kindly act had
set them free from all their cruel money

troubles.
It was useless for the Money Fiend, who

had crept into the room with them, to
whisper in the boy's ear that they were

more attentive to him than usual because

he was now the possessor of a large fortune.