I'mverygratefultoyou，andwe'llpartfriends。Good-night，sir。"
　　Thefatherheldouthishandinsilence。Theheavyportieredroppednoiselesslybehindtheson，andhewentupthewide，curvingstairwaytohisownroom。
　　MeantimeJohnWeightmansatinhiscarvedchairintheJacobeandining-room。Hefeltstrangelyoldanddull。TheportraitsofbeautifulwomenbyLawrenceandReynoldsandRaeburn，whichhadoftenseemedlikerealcompanytohim，lookedremoteanduninteresting。
　　Hefanciedsomethingcoldandalmostunfriendlyintheirexpression，asiftheywerestaringthroughhimorbeyondhim。Theycarednothingforhisprinciples，hishopes，hisdisappointments，hissuccesses；
　　theybelongedtoanotherworld，inwhichhehadnoplace。Atthishefeltavagueresentment，asenseofdiscomfortthathecouldnothavedefinedorexplained。Hewasusedtobeingconsidered，respected，appreciatedathisfullvalueineveryregion，eveninthatofhisowndreams。
　　Presentlyherangforthebutler，tellinghimtoclosethehouseandnottositup，andwalkedwithlaggingstepsintothelonglibrary，wheretheshadedlampswereburning。Hiseyefelluponthelowshelvesfullofcostlybooks，buthehadnodesiretoopenthem。Eventhecarefullychosenpicturesthathungabovethemseemedtohavelosttheirattraction。HepausedforamomentbeforeanidyllofCorot——adanceofnymphsaroundsomeforgottenaltarinavaporousglade——andlookedatitcuriously。Therewassomethingrapturousandsereneaboutthepicture，abreathofspring-timeinthemistytrees，aharmonyofjoyinthedancingfigures，thatwakenedinhimafeelingofhalf-pleasureandhalf-envy。Itrepresentedsomethingthathehadneverknowninhiscalculated，orderlylife。Hewasdimlymistrustfulofit。
　　"Itiscertainlyverybeautiful，"hethought，"butitisdistinctlypagan；
　　thataltarisbuilttosomeheathengod。ItdoesnotfitintotheschemeofaChristianlife。Idoubtwhetheritisconsistentwiththetoneofmyhouse。Iwillsellitthiswinter。ItwillbringthreeorfourtimeswhatIpaidforit。Thatwasagoodpurchase，averygoodbargain。"
　　Hedroppedintotherevolvingchairbeforehisbiglibrarytable。
　　Itwascoveredwithpamphletsandreportsofthevariousenterprisesinwhichhewasinterested。Therewasapileofnewspaperclippingsinwhichhisnamewasmentionedwithpraiseforhissustainingpowerasapillaroffinance，forhisjudiciousbenevolence，forhissupportofwiseandprudentreformmovements，forhisdiscretioninmakingpermanentpublicgifts——"theWeightmanCharities，"oneverycomplaisanteditorcalledthem，asiftheydeservedclassificationasadistinctspecies。
　　Heturnedhepapersoverlistlessly。Therewasadescriptionandapictureofthe"WeightmanWingoftheHospitalforCripples，"
　　ofwhichhewaspresident；andanarticleonthenewprofessorinthe"WeightmanChairofPoliticalJurisprudence"inJacksonUniversity，ofwhichhewasatrustee；andanillustratedaccountoftheopeningofthe"WeightmanGrammar-School"atDulwich-on-the-Sound，wherehehadhislegalresidenceforpurposesoftaxation。
　　ThislastwasperhapsthemostcarefullyplannedofalltheWeightmanCharities。Hedesiredtowintheconfidenceandsupportofhisruralneighbors。IthadpleasedhimmuchwhenthelocalnewspaperhadspokenofhimasanidealcitizenandthelogicalcandidatefortheGovernorshipoftheState；butuponthewholeitseemedtohimwisertokeepoutofactivepolitics。ItwouldbeeasierandbettertoputHaroldintotherunning，tohavehimsenttotheLegislaturefromtheDulwichdistrict，thentothenationalHouse，thentotheSenate。
　　Whynot？TheWeightmaninterestswerelargeenoughtoneedadirectrepresentativeandguardianatWashington。
　　Butto-nightalltheseplanscamebacktohimwithdustuponthem。
　　Theyweredryandcrumblinglikeforsakenhabitations。Thesonuponwhomhiscomplacentambitionhadrestedhadturnedhisbackuponthemansionofhisfather'shopes。Thebreakmightnotbefinal；
　　andinanyeventtherewouldbemuchtolivefor；thefortunesofthefamilywouldbesecure。ButthezestofitallwouldbegoneifJohnWeightmanhadtogiveuptheassuranceofperpetuatinghisnameandhisprinciplesinhisson。Itwasabitterdisappointment，andhefeltthathehadnotdeservedit。
　　Herosefromthechairandpacedtheroomwithleadenfeet。
　　Forthefirsttimeinhislifehisagewasvisiblyuponhim。
　　Hisheadwasheavyandhot，andthethoughtsthatrolledinitwereconfusedanddepressing。Coulditbethathehadmadeamistakeintheprinciplesofhisexistence？TherewasnoargumentinwhatHaroldhadsaid——itwasalmostchildish——andyetithadshakentheeldermanmoredeeplythanhecaredtoshow。
　　Itheldasilentattackwhichtouchedhimmorethanopencriticism。
　　Supposetheendofhislifewerenearerthanhethought——theendmustcomesometime——whatifitwerenow？Hadhenotfoundedhishouseuponarock？HadhenotkepttheCommandments？
　　Washenot，"touchingthelaw，blameless"？Andbeyondthis，evenifthereweresomefaultsinhischaracter——andallmenaresinners——
　　yethesurelybelievedinthesavingdoctrinesofreligion——theforgivenessofsins，theresurrectionofthebody，thelifeeverlasting。
　　Yes，thatwasthetruesourceofcomfort，afterall。HewouldreadabitintheBible，ashedideverynight，andgotobedandtosleep。
　　Hewentbacktohischairatthelibrarytable。Astrangeweightofwearinessresteduponhim，butheopenedthebookatafamiliarplace，andhiseyesfellupontheverseatthebottomofthepage。
　　"Laynotupforyourselvestreasuresuponearth。"
　　Thathadbeenthetextofthesermonafewweeksbefore。
　　Sleepily，heavily，hetriedtofixhisminduponitandrecallit。
　　WhatwasitthatDoctorSnodgrasshadsaid？Ah，yes——thatitwasamistaketopausehereinreadingtheverse。Wemustreadonwithoutapause——Laynotuptreasuresuponearthwheremothandrustdocorruptandwherethievesbreakthroughandsteal——thatwasthetruedoctrine。
　　Wemayhavetreasuresuponearth，buttheymustnotbeputintounsafeplaces，butintosafeplaces。Amostcomfortingdoctrine！
　　Hehadalwaysfollowedit。Mothsandrustandthieveshaddonenoharmtohisinvestments。
　　JohnWeightman'sdroopingeyesturnedtothenextverse，atthetopofthesecondcolumn。
　　"Butlayupforyourselvestreasuresinheaven。"
　　NowwhathadtheDoctorsaidaboutthat？Howwasittobeunderstood——inwhatsense——treasures——inheaven？
　　Thebookseemedtofloatawayfromhim。Thelightvanished。
　　HewondereddimlyifthiscouldbeDeath，comingsosuddenly，soquietly，soirresistibly。Hestruggledforamomenttoholdhimselfup，andthensankslowlyforwarduponthetable。Hisheadresteduponhisfoldedhands。Heslippedintotheunknown。
　　Howlongafterwardconsciouslifereturnedtohimhedidnotknow。