to a of ice what do you mean she asked abruptly and with an air ol surprise the minister s httle like eyes drooped under their and he on the seat with uncomfortable embarrassment he answered her in the of mild voices you are unlike yourself my dear he said with a soothing gesture of one of his well trimmed white hands you are generally frank and open but to day i find you just a little � well � what shall i say � yes we will call it i oh and mr laughed a gentle little laugh you must not pretend ignorance of what i mean all the neighbourhood is talking of you and the gentlemen you are so often seen with concerning sir philip � the evil tongue of rumour is busy � for according to his first plans when his arrived here he was bound for the north cape � and should have gone there days ago truly i think � and there are others who think also in the same spirit of interest for you � that the this young man leaves our peaceful the better � and the less he has to do with the maidens of the district the safer we be from the risk of scandal and he heaved a pious sigh turned her eyes upon him in i do not understand you she said coldly why do you speak of ot rs no others are interested in what i do why should they be why should be there is no need i mr grew slightly excited he felt like a the winning post oh you wrong yourself my dear he murmured softly with a sickly attempt at tenderness in his tone you really wrong yourself it is impossible � for me at least not to be interested in you � even for our dear lord s sake it troubles me to the inmost depths of my soul to behold in you one of the foolish whose light hath been extinguished for lack of the saving oil � to see you wandering as a lost sheep in the paths of darkness and error without a hand to rescue your steps from the near and dreadful precipice ay truly my spirit for you as a mother for an own babe � fain would i save you from the devices of the evil one � fain would i here the minister drew out his handkerchief and pressed it lightly to his eyes � then as if with an effort his emotion he added with the the land of the midnight sun gravity of a butcher presenting an bill but first � before mine own humble desires for your salvation � first ere i go further in converse it me to enter on the lord s business bent her head slightly with an air as though she said indeed pray do not be long about it and leaning back against the porch she waited somewhat impatiently the image i have just restored to you went on mr in his most and ponderous manner you say belonged to your unhappy mother she was not unhappy interposed the girl calmly ay ay and the minister nodded with a superior air of wisdom so you imagine so you think � you must have been too young to judge of these things she died i saw her die again she interrupted with a musing tenderness in her voice she smiled and kissed me � then she laid her thin white hand on this and closing her eyes she went to sleep they told me it was death since then i have known that death is beautiful mr � little cough of quiet incredulity he was not fond of sentiment in any form and the pensive manner annoyed him death beautiful it was the one thing of all others that he dreaded it was an unpleasant necessity concerning which he thought as little as possible though he preached frequently on the peace of the grave and the joys of heaven � he was far from believing in either � he was nervously terrified of illness and fled like a frightened from the very rumour of any disorder and he had never been known to attend a death bed and now in answer to he nodded and rubbed his hands and said yes yes no doubt no doubt all very proper on your part i am sure but concerning this same image of which i came to speak � it is most imperative that you should be brought to recognise it as a purely object a maiden s eyes to rest upon the true followers of the gospel are those who strive to forget the sufferings of our dear lord as much as possible � or to think of them only in spirit the minds of alas are easily influenced � and it is both and dangerous to gaze freely upon the semblance of the lord s limbs i yea truly it hath oft been considered as to the soul � more especially in the cases of women as who encourage themselves in an undue familiarity with our lord by gazing long and earnestly upon his body nailed to the accursed tree here mr paused for breath was silent but a faint smile gleamed on her face wherefore he went on i do you as you desire grace and to utterly cast from you the vile i have � heaven knows how reluctantly returned to your keeping � to upon it and it as a device of satan he stopped surprised and indignant as she raised the much abused emblem to her lips and kissed it reverently it is the sign of peace and salvation she said steadily to me at least you waste your words mr i am a catholic oh say not so exclaimed the minister now thoroughly roused to a pitch of enthusiasm say not so poor child 