wretch; doubtless he would come groaning (for Jonah might not curse save
in the way of religion), and rubbing his eyes, to let me in. The door
opened and Jonah appeared; his eyes were not dull with sleep but seemed
to blaze with some strong excitement; he had not been to his bed, for
his dress was not disordered, and a light burnt bright in my parlour. To
crown all, from the same parlour came the sound of a psalm most shrilly
and villainously chanted through the nose in a voice familiar to my
ears. I, unlike my servant, had not bound myself against an oath where
the case called, and with a round one that sent Jonah's eyes in agony up
to the ceiling I pushed by him and ran into the parlour. A sonorous
"Amen" came pat with my entrance; Phineas Tate stood before me, lean and
pale, but calm and placid.

"What in the devil's name brings you here?" I cried.

"The service of God," he answered solemnly.

"What, does it forbid sleep at nights?"

"Have you been sleeping, young man?" he asked, pertinently enough, as I
must allow.

"I have been paying my respects to His Majesty," said I.

"God forgive him and you," was the retort.

"Perhaps, sir, perhaps not," I replied, for I was growing angry. "But I
have asked your intercession no more than has the King. If Jonah brought
you here, it was without my leave; I beg you to take your
departure.--Jonah, hold the door there for Mr Tate."

The man raised his hand impressively.

"Hear my message first," he said. "I am sent unto you, that you may turn
from sin. For the Lord has appointed you to be his instrument. Even now
the plot is laid, even now men conspire to bring this kingdom again into
the bondage of Rome. Have you no ears, have you no eyes, are you blind
and deaf? Turn to me, and I will make you see and hear. For it is given
to me to show you the way."

I was utterly weary of the fellow, and, in despair of getting quit of
him, flung myself into a chair. But his next words caught my attention.

"The man who lives here with you--what of him? Is he not an enemy of
God?"

"Mr Darrell is of the Romish faith," said I, smiling in spite of myself,
for a kinder soul than Darrell I had never met.

Phineas came close to me, leaning over me with an admonishing forefinger
and a mysterious air.

"What did he want with you?" he asked. "Yet cleave to him. Be where he
is, go where he goes."

"If it comforts you, I am going where he goes," said I, yawning. "For we
are both goin