e in danger," was the startling answer, "that hold with us. But
the one only name that I have heard beside yours, is mine hostess of the
White Hart."

"Mistress Final? I reckoned so much. I will have a word with her, if
it may be, on my way back to Cranbrook, and bid her send word to the
others. Alack the day! how long is Satan to reign, and wrong to
triumph?"

"So long as God will," replied Mrs Collenwood. "So long as His Church
hath need of the cleansing physic shall it be ministered to her. When
she is made clean, and white, and tried, then--no longer. God grant,
friend, that you and I may not fail Him when the summons cometh for
us--`The Master calleth for thee.'"

"Amen!" said Roger Hall.

In the parlour Pandora said to Christabel--

"Dear child, thou mayest speak freely to me of thine Aunt Alice. I know
all touching her."

"O Mistress Pandora! wot you where she is?"

Pandora was grieved to find from Christie's eager exclamation that she
had, however innocently, roused the child's hopes only to be
disappointed.

"No, my dear heart," she said tenderly, "not that, truly. I did but
signify that I knew the manner of her entreatment, and where she hath
been lodged."

"Father can't find her anywhere," said Christie sorrowfully. "He went
about two whole days, but he could hear nothing of her at all."

"Our Father in Heaven knows where she is, my child. He shall not lose
sight of her, be well assured."

"But she can't see Him!" urged Christie tearfully.

"Truth, sweeting. Therefore rather `blessed are they that have not
seen, and yet have believed.' Consider how hard the blessed Paul was
tried, and how hard he must have found faith, and yet how fully he did
rely on our Saviour Christ."

"I don't think Saint Paul was ever tried this way," said Christie in her
simplicity. "And his sister's son knew where he was, and could get at
him. They weren't as ill off as me and Father."

"Poor old Jacob did not know where Joseph was," suggested Pandora.

"Well, ay," admitted Christie. "But Jacob was an old man; he wasn't a
little maid. And Joseph came all right, after all. Beside, he was a
lad, and could stand things. Aunt Alice isn't strong. And she hasn't
been nobody's white child [favourite] as Joseph was; I am sure Uncle
Edward never made her a coat of many colours. Mistress Pandora, is it
very wicked of me to feel as if I could not bear to look at Uncle
Edward, and hope that he will never,