ive with evil, you will so
love as to win love, you will pray and conquer."

"My father and Mr. Horncastle pray," said Peregrine bitterly. "I
hate it! They go on for ever, past all bearing; I _must_ do
something--stand on my head, pluck some one's stool away, or tickle
Robin with a straw, if I am birched the next moment. That's the
goblin."

"Yet you love the Minster music."

"Ay! Father calls it rank Popery. I listened many a time he never
guessed, hid away in the Holy Hole, or within old Bishop Wykeham's
little house."

"Ah, Peregrine, could an imp of evil brook to lie hidden in the Holy
Hole behind the very altar?" said Mrs. Woodford. "But I hear Nick
bringing in supper, and I must leave you for the present. God in
His mercy bless you, His poor child, and lead you in His ways."

As she went Peregrine muttered, "Is that a prayer? It is not like
father's."

She was anxious to consult her brother-in-law on the strange mood of
her patient. She found that he had heard more than he had told her
of what Major Oakshott deemed the hopeless wickedness of his son,
the antics at prayers, the hatred of everything good, the spiteful
tricks that were the family torment. No doubt much was due to the
boy's entire belief in his own elfship, and these two good people
seriously considered how to save him from himself.

"If we could only keep him here," said Mrs. Woodford, "I think we
might bring him to have some faith and love in God and man."

"You could, dear sister," said the Doctor, smiling affectionately;
"but Major Oakshott would never leave his son in our house. He
abhors our principles too much, and besides, it is too near home.
All the servants have heard rumours of this cruel fable, and would
ascribe the least misadventure to his goblin origin. I must ride
over to Oakwood and endeavour to induce his father to remove him to
safe and judicious keeping."

Some days, however, elapsed before Dr. Woodford could do this, and
in the meantime the good lady did her best to infuse into her poor
young guest the sense that he had a human soul, responsible for his
actions, and with hope set before him, and that he was not a mere
frolicsome and malicious sprite, the creature of unreasoning
impulse.

It was a matter only to be attempted by gentle hints, for though
reared in a strictly religious household, Peregrine's ears seemed to
have been absolutely closed, partly by nursery ideas of his own
exclusion from the pa