er a free woman--a
thing well worth a man's life! Many an angel has been sent on a smaller
errand!

Such were his thoughts as he followed Arctura up the stair, she
carrying the weight and the cord, he the ladder, which it was not easy
to get round the screw of the stair. Arctura trembled with excitement
as she ascended, grew frightened as often as she found she had
outstripped him, waited till the end of the ladder came poking round,
and started again before the bearer appeared.

Her dreams had disquieted her more than she had yet confessed: had she
been taking a way of her own, and choosing a guide instead of receiving
instruction in the way of understanding? Were these things sent for her
warning, to show her into what an abyss of death her conduct was
leading her?--But the moment she found herself in the open air of
Donal's company, her doubts and fears vanished for the time. Such a one
as he must surely know better than those others the way of the Spirit!
Was he not more childlike, more straightforward, more simple, and, she
could not but think, more obedient than those? Mr. Carmichael was
older, and might be more experienced; but did his light shine clearer
than Donal's? He might be a priest in the temple; but was there not a
Samuel in the temple as well as an Eli? It the young, strong, ruddy
shepherd, the defender of his flock, who was sent by God to kill the
giant! He was too little to wear Saul's armour; but he could kill a man
too big to wear it! Thus meditated Arctura as she climbed the stair,
and her hope and courage grew.

A delicate conscience, sensitive feelings, and keen faculties,
subjected to the rough rasping of coarse, self-satisfied, unspiritual
natures, had almost lost their equilibrium. As to natural condition no
one was sounder than she; yet even now when she had more than begun to
see its falsehood, a headache would suffice to bring her afresh under
the influence of the hideous system she had been taught, and wake in
her all kinds of deranging doubts and consciousnesses. Subjugated so
long to the untrue, she required to be for a time, until her spiritual
being should be somewhat individualized, under the genial influences of
one who was not afraid to believe, one who knew the master. Nor was
there danger to either so long as he sought no end of his own, so long
as he desired only His will, so long as he could say, "Whom is there in
heaven but thee! and there is none upon earth that I desire be