ere-looking man. Of course he has not
much authority; still, had I seen him, I do not think I should have
agreed to send Cis and Charlie there; but now I am committed to a
quarter. I cannot afford to indulge whims, and, at all events, they are
within an easy distance. Charlie looked so white, and clung to me as if
he would never let me go! How hard life is!"

"This portion of it is, and wisely so. We must set our affections on
things above. I have been learning this lesson of late as I never
thought I should have to learn it."

"_You_?--you who are so good, so unworldly? Oh, Mr. Payne, what do you
mean? You are looking ill and worn."

"I have been fighting a battle of late," he returned, with his sweet,
patient smile, "and I have conquered. The right road has been shown to
me, the right way, and I am determined to walk in it."

"What are you going to do?" asked Katherine, with a feeling of alarm.

"I am going to take orders, and join the missionary ranks, either in
India or China. Work in England was growing too easy--too heavenly
sweet--to be any longer saving to my own soul."

"But Mr. Payne, don't you see that your own poor country people have the
first claim upon you--that you are leaving a work for which you are so
wonderfully well suited, in which you are so successful? Oh, do think!
Here you leave people of your own race, whose wants, whose characters
you can understand, to run away to creatures of another climate--a
different stock--whose natures, in my opinion, unfit them for a faith
such as ours, and who never, never will accept our religion!"

"Hush!" cried Payne, in an excited tone. "Do not torture me by showing
the appalling gulf which separates us. Strange that a heart so tender as
yours to all mere human miseries should yet be adamant against the
Saviour's loving touch. This has been my cruel cross, and my only safety
lies in flight, wretched man that I am!"

"I am dreadfully distressed about you, Mr. Payne. Does your sister know?
It is really unkind to her."

"That must not weigh with me. Even if the right hand offends you, 'cut
it off,' is the command."

"At all events, you must study, or go though some preparation, before
you are ordained, and perhaps in that interval you may change your
views. I do hope you will. I should be indeed sorry to lose sight of a
true friend like yourself."

"A friend!" he returned, his brow contracting as if with pain. "You do
not know the depths of my selfishn