"We mustna' forget that the Lord has us a' in His hands, Duncan," he
said awkwardly, as he rose to go, feeling strange in his entirely new
role of comforter to the hopeful one. "He is all-wise, an' He kens, ye
mind."

"Oh, indeed yes, indeed yes." Duncan's tone was full of contrition for
his late despair. "He will be a very present help in time of trouble."

But he sat at his dark little window, looking over at the place of his
covenant until the shadowy, ethereal greyness of the dawn concentrated
itself in a glorious bar on the eastern horizon and gradually grew into
the great awakening of another day.

He had been disturbed in his meditations and prayers only once. At
about midnight, a laughing crowd of young folk passed the house on
their way to the village. They were returning from a husking bee.
Duncan could hear their noisy, gay chatter, and among the merriest
voices he could distinguish the one that he had once hoped would call
all the youth of his valley to a higher and better life.

XI

COALS OF FIRE

When Donald Neil left Glenoro his pastor drew a breath of relief.
Donald's conduct towards him, since the day of the picnic had been
above reproach, but try as he would, he could not help associating all
his troubles with that young man. With his removal the minister was
not surprised to find that his affairs settled down to their old happy
level. The story of his youthful frivolity was dying out; when Coonie
furnished a new variation of it every day, sensible people ceased to
believe even the original. The young people, always ready to follow
him, convinced themselves, though somewhat reluctantly, that he had
acted rightly regarding the organ; and the older folk considered his
conduct in that affair wise beyond his years.

Without any volition on his part he gradually drifted into his old
intimacy with Jessie Hamilton. Since her reconciliation with Donald he
had enjoyed very little of her company, and had missed it more than he
cared to admit. Jessie admired him profoundly; the very fact of his
being a minister set him immeasurably above all the other young men of
her acquaintance. He must be a wonder of goodness and unselfishness,
the girl felt, to give up his whole life to the service of God, and she
was filled with a sublime joy to find that he deigned to single her out
to assist him in his great work. Though she never dreamed of setting
him above her hero, she felt compelled to a