fore the Son of Man at
His coming."

Pandora had hidden her face on Mrs Collenwood's shoulder.

"Oh, _do_ pray, Aunt Frances!" she said, with a sob.

The days for a week after that were very busy ones. Every day some one
or two bags were packed, and quietly conveyed at nightfall by Mrs
Collenwood's own man to an inn about four miles distant. Pandora was
kept indoors, except one day, when she went with Mrs Collenwood to take
leave of Christie. That morning the priest called and expressed a wish
to speak to her: but being told that she was gone to see a friend, said
he would call again the following day. Of this they were told on their
return. Mrs Collenwood's cheeks paled a little; then, with set lips,
and a firm step, she sought her brother in his closet, or as we should
say, his study.

"Tom," she said, when the door was safely shut, "we must be gone this
night."

Mr Roberts looked up in considerable astonishment.

"This night!--what mean you, Frances? The clouds be gathering for rain,
and your departure was fixed for Thursday."

"Ay, the clouds be gathering," repeated Mrs Collenwood meaningly, "and
I am 'feared Pandora, if not I, may be caught in the shower. Have you
not heard that Father Bastian desired to speak with her whilst we were
hence this morrow? We must be gone, Tom, ere he come again."

Mr Roberts, who was busy with his accounts, set down a five as the
addition of eight and three, with a very faint notion of what he was
doing.

"Well!" he said, in an undecided manner. "Well! it is--it is not--it
shall look--"

"How should it look," replied Mrs Collenwood, with quiet incisiveness,
"to see Pandora bound to the stake for burning?"

Mr Roberts threw out his hands as if to push away the terrible
suggestion.

"It may come to that, Tom, if we tarry. For, without I mistake, the
girl is not made of such willowy stuff as--some folks be."

She just checked herself from saying, "as you are."

Mr Roberts passed his fingers through his hair, in a style which said,
as plainly as words, that he was about at his wits' end. Perhaps he had
not far to go to reach that locality.

"Good lack!" he said. "Dear heart!--well-a-day!"

"She will be safe with me," said her aunt, "for a time at least. And if
danger draw near there also, I can send her thence to certain friends of
mine in a remote part amongst the mountains, where a priest scarce
cometh once in three years. And ere that end, God may wor