Christ. Lady Huntly was also helped by her intercourse in Paris with
Lady Olivia Sparrow and others who frequented her house for the sake of
the religious society.

On her return from Paris the winter was passed at Kimbolton Castle, the
seat of her brother-in-law, the Duke of Manchester. That place was
memorable in her spiritual history. "I knew Christ first," she
afterwards said, "if I really know Him, at Kimbolton; I spent hours
there in my dressing-room in prayer, and in reading the Bible, and in
happy communion with Him." Lady Huntly referred to this period of her
spiritual life in these terms, some one having made the remark that deep
conviction of sin is almost invariably the beginning of the work of God
in the soul: "I did not quite agree with that statement, and do not
think it is by any means always the case. In my own case I believe that
for two years I was a saved sinner, a believer in Jesus Christ, and yet
that during all that time I did not see the exceeding sinfuluess of sin.
I believed in a general way that I was a sinner, who deserved the
punishment of a righteous God; I believed that whosoever came to Jesus
Christ should he saved; but I had no deep sense of sin, of my sin. Since
then I believe that I have passed through almost every phase of
Christian experience that I have ever read or heard of; and now I have
such a sight of my own utter vileness and unworthiness, that I feel that
the great and holy God might well set His heel on me, so to speak, and
crush me into nothing." This sense of absolute unworthiness was always a
feature of her life. "A useless log" was the term she applied
to herself.

One means of profit which Lady Huntly much enjoyed was her intercourse
with a friend of bygone days, Miss Helen Home. They were now both
walking in the same way. The Bible readings at the house of Miss Home
were felt to be of great service.

Lady Huntly soon introduced family prayer in her home. She felt that if
God was to be heartily served, His altar must be set up in the house. At
first she gathered together her servants and any lady visitors in the
house. But later, as we shall see, the whole establishment took part.

III.

DUCHESS OF GORDON.

The old Duke of Gordon, Lord Huntly's father, died in the summer of
1827. The subject of this biography became Duchess of Gordon, a title
which involved increased responsibilities and increased anxieties.
Happily she realised her position, and determin