CONCLUSION. 361 



days his wife was with him day and night ; a 

 young country girl, who behaved nobly all 

 through, was her only help. . . . His long, 

 long illness of six years (four years before at 

 Eltham he looked near death) this long, weari- 

 some time had almost persuaded many who 

 knew him not intimately that his illness was 

 partly imaginary. He proved it otherwise. 

 A soldier who in health, high spirits, and 

 excitement, rides to what appears certain 

 death is called a hero : glory and honours are 

 heaped upon him ; but what is that compared 

 with years of fighting without cessation, and 

 the absolute certainty of defeat always present 

 to the mind ? I asked Mrs. JefFeries if he had 

 made a will. She said : ' No ; surely it would 

 have been useless, we have nothing. A woman 

 singly, strong as I am, could rough it ; but if 

 something can be done for the children ' 

 Something shall be done. I had to call at my 

 framemaker's to put off an appointment. I 

 told him roughly what had happened to me 

 yesterday. He had never heard of JefFeries, 

 and knew nothing of his work ; but he said, 

 1 1 shall be glad if anything can be done if 



