At length the long-expected knock was heard . She hurried to the door , and met her husband ; a man whose face was careworn and depressed , though he was young . There was a remarkable expression in it now ; a kind of serious delight of which he felt ashamed , and which he struggled to repress . He sat down to the dinner that had been hoarding for him by the fire , and , when she asked him faintly what news -LRB- which was not until after a long silence -RRB- , he appeared embarrassed how to answer . `` Is it good , '' she said , `` or bad ? '' to help him . `` Bad , '' he answered . `` We are quite ruined ? '' `` No . There is hope yet , Caroline . '' `` If he relents , '' she said , amazed , `` there is ! Nothing is past hope , if such a miracle has happened . '' `` He is past relenting , '' said her husband . `` He is dead . '' She was a mild and patient creature , if her face spoke truth ; but she was thankful in her soul to hear it , and she said so with clasped hands . She prayed forgiveness the next moment , and was sorry ; but the first was the emotion of her heart . `` What the half-drunken woman , whom I told you of last night , said to me when I tried to see him and obtain a week 's delay , and what I thought was a mere excuse to avoid me , turns out to have been quite true . He was not only very ill , but dying , then . '' `` To whom will our debt be transferred ? '' `` I do n't know .
But , before that time , we shall be ready with the money ; and , even though we were not , it would be bad fortune indeed to find so merciless a creditor XXXXX his successor .
At Caroline fire if in of relents though to with