separate you from their company," repeated the
teacher. "Not very pleasant things. But some of you said yes. Give us
_your_ reasons, if you please."

"We can't be like Christ and like the world," Peter answered.

"'Ye are not of the world, even as I am not of the world,'" said Mr.
Wharncliffe. "Most true! And some of us do want to be like our Master.
Well? who else has a reason?"

"I think it is very hard," said Matilda, "to do right and not be unlike
other people."

"So hard, my dear, that it is impossible," said the teacher, looking
somewhat steadily at his new scholar. "And are you one of those who
want to do right?"

Matilda answered; but as she did so something made her voice tremble
and her eyes fill.

"For the sake of doing right, then, and for the sake of being like
Jesus, some of us are willing to be unlike other people; though the
consequences of that are not always pleasant. Is there nothing more to
be said on the subject?"

"The people that have the Lord's name in their foreheads, will be with
him by and by," remarked a girl who had not yet spoken.

"And he is with them now," said Mr. Wharncliffe. "Yes, Sarah."

"And then there will be a great gulf between," said a boy.

"Well, I think we have got reason enough," said Mr. Wharncliffe. "To be
on the right side of the dividing gulf _then_, we must be content to be
on the same side of it now. Daniel judged so, it is clear. On the
whole, did he lose anything?"

The teacher's eyes were looking at Norton, and he was constrained to
answer no.

"What did he gain?"

Norton was still the one looked at, and he fidgeted. Mr. Wharncliffe
waited.

"I suppose, God gave him learning and wisdom."

"In consequence of his learning and wisdom, which were very remarkable,
what then?"

"The king's favour," said Norton.

"Just what the friends of the young Jews had been afraid they would
lose. They 'stood before the king;' that means they were appointed to
be king's officers; they served him, not any meaner man. Now how does
this all come home to us? How are we tempted, as Daniel and his fellows
were tempted?"

Norton, at whom Mr. Wharncliffe glanced, replied that he did not know.
Matilda also was silent, though longing to utter her confession. The
questioning eyes passed on.

"The fellows think you must do as they does," said a lad who sat next
Matilda.

"In what?"

That boy hesitated; the next spoke up, and said, "Lying, and lifting."

"And sweari