Chapter XVIII: Epilogue

Joshua Haggard has been lying in his quiet grave among the Cornish hills just three years. It is midsummer time again, and the long straggling village of Combhaven is looking its gayest, beautified by Nature, and not by art. There is an unaccustomed life and stir in the place--people dressed in their best clothes, new bonnet-ribbons as rife as butterflies, every one upon the tiptoe of expectancy--and Naomi Haggard standing by the open parlour-window, very pale, in a gray Quaker-like silk--almost as pretty a gown as that wedding-dress she gave away four years ago; but it was not her father’s hand this time which tested the quality of the silk, or her father’s blessing which made the gift sweet.

Naomi has been an independent young woman for the last three years; for Joshua Haggard’s will, made immediately after Oswald’s dismissal, left his only daughter the five thousand pounds which had been intended as her marriage portion. She has suffered her aunt’s domestic tyranny none the less meekly because of this independence. She has lived her quiet life in the old familiar home, so desolate without her father, and has taught her classes in the Sunday-school, and helped the new minister by many a quiet service, and held her place in the hearts of the Dissenters of Combhaven, who still honour Joshua’s memory as that of a great and good man. This is Naomi’s consolation. No shame or dishonour has ever been attached to her father’s name in the public mind. The secret of Oswald’s fate is known to none living save Arnold and herself.

To-day is a great day for Naomi--the happiest she has known since her father’s death; for the memorial chapel--the new Bethel which she has built with a portion of her inheritance--is to be opened to-day. A fair lofty building of gray stone--a little too much like a corn-exchange on a small scale for the improved taste of this latter part of the century, but in those days a temple of exceeding beauty. There are four long straight windows on each side, an oak pulpit and reading-desk, a commodious gallery, and a Doric portico; and in the eyes of Combhaven the edifice is second only to Exeter Cathedral and Barnstaple Market.

To Naomi’s mind the fairest thing in the brand-new chapel is a brazen tablet in front of the gallery bearing this brief inscription:

‘This Chapel was erected in affectionate remembrance of Joshua
Haggard, Minister.’

* * * * *

Naomi leaves the chapel after the opening service leaning on Arnold Pentreath’s arm, tearful, but not altogether unhappy. Friends gather round her, and congratulate her, and are warm in their praises of the new Bethel; but it is to be noticed that there is an unwonted reverence in the tone of these old acquaintances, and that Mrs. Spradgers, notorious for extravagance in millinery, drops a low curtsy to Miss Haggard, instead of extending her pudgy hand in its black-lace glove.

Standing on the threshold of the new chapel, Naomi stands also on the threshold of a new life. Her lover--faithful and unchanging through his three years’ apprenticeship--is by her side, and to-morrow is to be their wedding-day.

THE END.

LONDON:
ROBSON AND SONS, PRINTERS, PANCRAS ROAD, N.W.

Transcriber’s Notes

Obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been silently corrected after careful comparison with other occurrences within the three volumes of this work and consultation of external sources. Some hyphens in words have been silently removed and some silently added when a predominant preference was found in the original work. Except for those changes noted below, original spellings in the text and inconsistent or archaic usage have been retained.

Page 168: “ound out this” replaced by “found out this”.
Page 199: “brother’s murdar” replaced by “brother’s murder”.
Page 215: “with a a strange” replaced by “with a strange”.
Page 219: “last twelvemonths” replaced by “last twelvemonth”.
Page 233: “protrated thoughtlessness” replaced by “protracted
thoughtlessness”.

Italicized text is surrounded by underscores: _italics_.

New original cover art included with this eBook is granted to the public domain.