hemselves; on the contrary, when he felt most, he lowered his
voice, and kept a firm rein upon his eloquence. His command of
English, too, surprised his hearers, and Dr. Owen, himself a popular
preacher, confessed he had never possessed such an easy flow of that
language. As for Ebben Owens himself, as the sermon proceeded,
although he understood but little English, not a word, nor a phrase,
nor an inflection of the beloved voice escaped his attention; and as he
bent his head at the benediction tears of thankfulness, pride, and joy
filled his eyes. But he dried them hastily with his bran new silk
handkerchief, and followed Ann out of the church with the first of the
congregation.

"We'll wait with the car," he said, "at the top of the lane. We won't
push ourselves on to him at the church door when all the gentry are
speaking to him."

And Ann sat in the car with the reins in her hand, while the
congregation filed past, many of them turning aside to congratulate
warmly the father and sister of such a preacher. One by one the people
passed on, two or three carriages rolled by, and still Will had not
appeared.

"Here he is, I think," said Ebben Owens, as two gentlemen walked slowly
up the lane, and watching them, he scarcely caught sight of a carriage
that drove quickly by. But a glance was enough as it turned round the
corner into the street. In it sat Will, accompanied by Dr. Owen,
Colonel Vaughan, and his niece.

"Was that Will?" said Ann, looking round.

"Yes," said her father faintly, looking about him in a dazed, confused
manner. He put his hand to his head and turned very pale.

Ann was out of the car in a moment, flinging the reins to the stable
boy who stood at Bowler's head.

"Come, father anwl!" she said, supporting the old man's tottering
steps, for he would have fallen had she not passed her strong arm round
him. "Come, we'll go home. You will be better once we are out of the
town," and with great difficulty she got him into the car. "Cheer up,
father bach," she said, trying to speak cheerfully, though her own
voice trembled, and her eyes were full of tears. "No doubt he meant to
come, or he would have written, but I'm thinking they pressed him so
much that he couldn't refuse."

"Yes, yes," said the old man in a weak voice; "no doubt, no doubt!
_'tis all right_, Ann; 'tis the hand of God."

Ann thought he was wandering a little, and tried to turn his thoughts
by speaking of the sermon.