irred and mounted under the
scrutiny, until interest nearly put shyness out of sight; and
the winsome brown eyes now looked at Gyda more wistful than
afraid. They followed her question with a swift glance, but
then Miss Kennedy hastily took the matter into her own hands.

'Not generally!' she answered, the lips parting and curling in
sweet mirthful lines that at least did not speak of very deep
wrong-doing. Most gentlemen probably would have uttered a
protest, but Rollo was absolutely silent. Gyda looked from one
to the other.

'Why are ye no good?' she asked, with her hand on Wych Hazel's
shoulder. The expression of the words is very difficult to
describe. It was an inquiry, put with the simplest accent of
wondering and regretful desire. Hazel looked at her, studying
the question rather in the face than in the words.

'I suppose,' she said slowly, 'because I do not like it.'

'You must know, Gyda,' said Rollo, smiling, 'that Miss Hazel's
notion of goodness is, giving up her own will to somebody
else's.'

'And that's just what it is, Dane Olaf,' said the old woman,
looking round at him. 'Ye could not have expressed it better.
But that is not hard, nor uncomfortable, when ye love
somebody?' she added, her sweet eyes going back to Wych Hazel.
The girl shook her head.

'I never loved anybody, then. Unless mamma,' she answered.

'Lady, do ye know those words in your Bible--"He that dwelleth
in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the
shadow of the Almighty?" Giving up yourself to God will put ye
just there! And then--"He shall cover thee with his feathers,
and under His wings shalt thou trust." '

It is one thing to hear these words sonorously read in church,
or to run one's eye over them in a perfunctory manner. To see
Gyda speak them, with the accent and air of one undeniably
proving the truth of them, that was another thing.

'There may be yet a difficulty, Gyda,' said Rollo.

'What is't?'

'One may not know just how to get there, even after you have
shewed the way.'

Rollo was not speaking lightly; but Gyda as she went back to
her seat only answered,

'Ye can always ask.'

'Whom would you bid me ask, Gyda? I would about as lieve come
to you as anybody, if I wanted counsel.'

'Give yourself to God, lad, and ye'll know there's but One to
ask of. And there's but One before that, if ye want real
help.'

There was a minute's pause; and then Rollo asked what Gyda had
for him to do. 'No