rtrude; 'tis not such as she that come before religious
tribunals. They will know they have her safe enough."

"Aunt Frances," said Pandora in a whisper, "think you I should not
yield?"

"I hope thou wouldst not, Dorrie."

"But how wist you--how could you know," asked the girl passionately,
"what I had kept so carefully concealed? How could you know that I
hated to go to mass, and availed myself of every whit of excuse that
should serve my turn to stay away from confession?--that I besought God
every night, yea, with tears, to do away this terrible state of matters,
and to grant us rulers under whom we might worship Him without fear,
according to His will and word? I counted I had hidden mine heart from
every eye but His. Aunt Frances, how _could_ you know?"

Mrs Collenwood drew Pandora into her arms.

"Because, my child, I had done the same."

The girl's arms came round her aunt's neck, and their cheeks were
pressed close.

"O Aunt Frances, I am so glad! I have so lacked one to speak withal
herein! I have thought at times, if I had but one human creature to
whom I might say a word!--and then there was nobody but God--I seemed
driven to Him alone."

"That is blessed suffering, my dear heart, which drives souls to God;
and there he will come with nought lesser. Dorrie, methinks thou scarce
mindest thy mother?"

"Oh, but I do, Aunt! She was the best and dearest mother that ever was.
True loves not to talk of her, nor of any that is dead; so that here
also I had to shut up my thoughts within myself; but I mind her--ay,
that I do!"

"Niece, when she lay of her last sickness, she called me to her, and
quoth she--`Frances, I have been sore troubled for my little Dorrie: but
methinks now I have let all go, and have left her in the hands of God.
Only if ever the evil days should come again, and persecution arise
because of the witness of Jesus, and the Word of God, and the testimony
which we hold--tell her, if you find occasion, as her mother's last
dying word to her, that she hold fast the word of the truth of the
Gospel, and be not moved away therefrom, neither by persuading nor
threatening. 'Tis he that overcometh, and he only, that shall have the
crown of life.' Never till now, Pandora, my dear child, have I told
thee these words of thy dead and saintly mother. I pray God lay them on
thine heart, that thou mayest stand in the evil day--yea, whether thou
escape these things or no, thou mayest stand be