I mean you no harm, Alice; only
to bring you down a little, and make you submissive. You're a bit too
much set on your own way, look you. I'll go to Master Horden and Master
Colepeper, and win them to move Dick o' Dover to leave her go forth. It
shall do her a power of good--just a few days. And I can ne'er put up
with many suppers like this--I must have her forth. Should have thought
o' that sooner, trow. Ay, Alice--I'll have you out!"

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Note. Most of the Scriptural quotations are taken from Cranmer's Bible.

CHAPTER SIX.

PEPPERED BROTH.

"Father! O Father! Must I forgive Uncle Edward? I don't see how I
can."

"I'm afraid you must, Christie, if you look to follow Christ."

"But how can I? To use dear Aunt Alice so cruelly!"

"How can God forgive thee and me, Christie, that have used His blessed
Son far, far worser than Uncle Edward hath used Aunt Alice, or ever
could use her?"

"Father, have you forgiven him?"

It was a hard question. Next after his little Christie herself, the
dearest thing in the world to Roger Hall was his sister Alice. He
hesitated an instant.

"No, you haven't," said Christie, in a tone of satisfaction. "Then I'm
sure I don't need if _you_ haven't."

"Dost thou mean, then, to follow Roger Hall, instead of the Lord Jesus?"

Christie parried that difficult query by another.

"Father, _love_ you Uncle Edward?"

"I am trying, Christie."

"I should think you'd have to try about a hundred million years!" said
Christie. "I feel as if I should be as glad as could be, if a big bear
would just come and eat him up!--or a great lion, I would not mind which
it was, if it wouldn't leave the least bit of him."

"But if Christ died for Uncle Edward, my child?"

"I don't see how He could. I wouldn't."

"No, dear heart, I can well believe that. `Scarce will any man die for
a righteous man... But God setteth out His love toward us, seeing that
while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.' And He left us `an
ensample,' my Christie, `that we should follow His steps.'"

"I can't, Father; I can't!"

"Surely thou canst not, without the Lord make thee able. Thou canst
never follow Christ in thine own strength. But `His strength is made
perfect through weakness.' I know well, my dear heart, 'tis vastly
harder to forgive them that inflict suffering on them we love dearly--
far harder than when w