much emotion. 'Wilt thou not come?' said Winifred, with a face
beaming with kindness. But I made no answer, and presently the party
moved away, in the same manner in which it had moved on the preceding
Sabbath, and I was again left alone.

The hours of the Sabbath passed slowly away. I sat gazing at the sky,
the trees, and the water. At last I strolled up to the house and sat
down in the porch. It was empty; there was no modest maiden there, as on
the preceding Sabbath. The damsel of the book had accompanied the rest.
I had seen her in the procession, and the house appeared quite deserted.
The owners had probably left it to my custody, so I sat down in the
porch, quite alone. The hours of the Sabbath passed heavily away.

At last evening came, and with it the party of the morning. I was now at
my place beneath the oak. I went forward to meet them. Peter and his
wife received me with a calm and quiet greeting, and passed forward. The
rest of the party had broken into groups. There was a kind of excitement
amongst them, and much eager whispering. I went to one of the groups;
the young girl of whom I have spoken more than once was speaking: 'Such a
sermon,' said she, 'it has never been our lot to hear; Peter never before
spoke as he has done this day--he was always a powerful preacher, but oh,
the unction of the discourse of this morning, and yet more of that of the
afternoon, which was the continuation of it!' 'What was the subject?'
said I, interrupting her. 'Ah! you should have been there, young man, to
have heard it; it would have made a lasting impression upon you. I was
bathed in tears all the time; those who heard it will never forget the
preaching of the good Peter Williams on the Power, Providence, and
Goodness of God.'

CHAPTER SEVENTY-NINE

DEEP INTEREST--GOODLY COUNTRY--TWO MANSIONS--WELSHMAN'S CANDLE--BEAUTIFUL
UNIVERSE--GODLY DISCOURSE--FINE CHURCH--POINTS OF DOCTRINE--STRANGE
ADVENTURES--THE PONTIFF--EVIL SPIRIT

On the morrow I said to my friends, 'I am about to depart; farewell!'
'Depart!' said Peter and his wife, simultaneously; 'whither wouldst thou
go?' 'I can't stay here all my days,' I replied. 'Of course not,' said
Peter; 'but we had no idea of losing thee so soon: we had almost hoped
that thou wouldst join us, become one of us. We are under infinite
obligations to thee.' 'You mean I am under infinite obligations to you,'
said I. 'Did you not save my life?' 'Perhaps