een for his personal interest in Mr Maxwell, and his real love for
the word of truth as presented by him to the people, he would, during
the winter which saw the work at Varney's farm commenced and carried on
at Jacob Holt's bidding, have absented himself from the house of God
altogether.

He went, but he did not derive the good from it he might have done in
other circumstances, as he longed to do. He was like one bound or
blinded; like one striving vainly to reach a hand held out to him, to
see clearly a face of love turned toward him, indeed, but with a veil
between.

"Thou art a God that hidest Thyself," was his cry. And when this word
followed to his conscience, "Your sins have hid His face from you that
He will not hear," he laid his hand on his mouth, acknowledging that it
might well be so; but it was not the sin of his anger against Jacob Holt
that came home to him. He told himself that it was the man's daily
hypocrisy that he hated. And if he could not always separate the sinner
from the sin in his thoughts, he yet could quiet himself, taking refuge
in the knowledge that never by word or deed had he pleaded his own cause
against him. He left it to God to deal with him.

But having waited long, and seeing many troubles drawing near, he asked
in moments of darkness whether God had indeed forgotten him.

And so the days went on through the spring, and Mrs Fleming watched and
waited, saying little, but growing sad at heart to see how rapidly the
signs of old age were growing visible upon him.

CHAPTER NINETEEN.

KATIE'S WORD.

Grannie's brave heart did not fail her. She had much to comfort her at
this time of trouble.

Seldom had there been a more favourable spring for the getting in of the
crops, and never even at Ythan Brae had the spring work been done
better, or in better time.

Davie was far enough from being perfect yet in many respects, and his
grandmother did not consider it her duty, or for his good, to let him
forget his faults. But she made amends to herself, if not to him, by
rejoicing over him and his steadiness and goodness to his mother and
Katie. None of her rebukes or cautions were needed where his
grandfather was concerned, and she could not but wonder sometimes at the
lad's forbearance, for the old man's burden of care made him weary and
irritable often.

Katie's dairy, so long talked of and planned for, was in use now, though
it was not quite finished to her mind yet. Da