in."

"Oh no, surely not, David."

"Yes, father, it must. I shall get better for a time, and I shall have
the sunshine, and Elizabeth's dear love, and life will grow too
precious to me again, and I shall dishonour my Master, and put Him to
shame, by wanting to lay down my cross."

"No, David, I am not afraid of that," returned his father gravely. "My
own boy, this is only one of the dark hours, when the evil one tempts
you in your weakness; need I remind you of what you have so often
preached to others, that as thy day thy strength will be, and that help
never comes beforehand?"

"True, but I seem to forget everything." Then a warm, comforting hand
was laid tenderly upon David's forehead.

"I shall remind you. We shall not be parted yet, my son, and God will
help me to say the right words to you. Ah, David," in a reverent tone,
"many lives have their Gethsemanes, but only one ever drank the bitter
cup of sorrow to the dregs without a murmur, and only one had an angel
to comfort Him. He will not be hard on us because our human will
shrinks from some hard cross of pain, for 'He knoweth our frame,' and
in our weakness and extremity He will be our staff and our stay." And
in trembling tones he blessed his boy, and sat beside him in voiceless
prayer and the deep, inward supplication of exceeding love, nor did he
leave him until David had sunk into an exhausted sleep.

David was very feverish and unwell the next day, and Mr. Carlyon could
not leave him; but after a few hours he grew better again, and as the
days went on he seemed to recover his old cheerfulness.

One afternoon, as Elizabeth was sitting with him as usual--for she
always spent her afternoons at the White Cottage--he surprised her by
asking if Malcolm Herrick never came to the Wood House now.

"How strange that you should ask that question," returned Elizabeth,
colouring slightly at the mention of Malcolm's name, "for he is coming
down this very evening, and Cedric is driving to Earlsfield to meet
him. Dinah asked him to come," she went on; "she wanted to talk to him
about Cedric."

"Herrick is Dinah's right-hand man of business--she quite swears by
him," replied David, smoothing tenderly a ruffled lock of brown hair
that the wind had disordered. "I suppose he will remain the night?"

"Oh yes, of course. Dinah has got a room ready for him; she told him
that she should not allow him to go to the 'King's Arms.'"

"It was right for her to put her foot