ittle babes; and keep it still, Joan, while I'm away, whatever you do.
Don't let thy aunt hear it till I come back."

How long Nathan was away Joan could not tell. She knew nothing of time
as she knelt by the bedside watching the child sleeping so softly and
soundly, its tiny face growing rosy with warmth. But at last her long
day-dream was broken by the sound of her own name, uttered in so loud
and terrible a voice that she felt as if she could not stir hand or
foot. It was Aunt Priscilla's voice, not far away, nay, at the very foot
of the steep and narrow staircase leading up to her room. Joan's heart
seemed to stand still with terror.

"Joan, bring that child down at once!" were the words that rang in her
ears; "I'll not have it one moment under my roof."

Joan did not answer or move, except to throw her little arms over the
sleeping baby.

"No, no!" she heard old Nathan say; "I've lived here in this place all
my life, with thy grandfather and father and thee, and I've been true
and faithful in my service, and I've grieved over the poor unhappy
mother of the little babe as if she'd been my own child. And now, if the
baby goes away from out of the house I'll go with it. I'll stay no
longer, not another hour. Thou'rt a hard woman, Priscilla Parry, and God
'll show Himself hard to thee. With the unmerciful He'll show Himself
unmerciful, and with the froward He'll show Himself froward. And oh!
it's a fearful thing to think of an unmerciful and hard God!"

Joan listened in terror to Nathan's strange words, but she did not hear
her aunt's voice making any answer. There was utter silence for a long
minute or two, followed by the sound of slow and dragging footsteps,
which grew fainter and fainter till she could hear them no more. Then
old Nathan came upstairs, and Nurse Williams, whom he had been to
fetch.

CHAPTER IV

LOST AND FOUND

It was a very happy Christmas Day for Joan, though she never left her
little bedroom. Her delight was in watching the wonderful Christmas
child all day, and in helping to nurse him. Never had she seen anything
so perfectly lovely as his tiny hands and feet, and the little head that
nestled down so peacefully on her arm. A good part of the day she was
left alone with the baby, for Nurse Williams was busy about the house,
where there was a good deal of stir and excitement. The neighbours were
coming in to inquire about the rumours that had reached them, and Nathan
was away, and