ong for it?'

'Yes, as I never even _thought_ I did,' said Owen, with much emotion.
'It was strange, Honor, as soon as I came home to the old places, how the
old feelings, that had been set aside so long, came back again. I would
have given the world to recover them in Canada, but could only envy
Randolf, till they woke up again of themselves at the sight of the study,
and the big Bible we used to read with you.'

'Yet you never spoke.'

'No; I _could_ not till I had proved to myself that there was no
time-serving in them, if you must know the truth!' said Owen, colouring a
little. 'Besides, having been told my wits would go, how did I know but
that they were a symptom of my second childhood?'

'How could any one have been so cruel as to utter such a horrible
presage?'

'One overhears and understands more than people imagine, when one has
nothing to do but to lie on the broad of one's back and count the flies,'
said Owen. 'So, when I was convinced that my machine was as good as
ever, but only would not stand application, I put off the profession,
just to be sure what I should think of it when I could _think_.'

'Well!' was all Honor could say, gazing through glad tears.

'And now, Honor dear,' said he, with a smile, 'I don't know how it is.
I've tried experiments on my brains. I have gone through half-a-dozen
tough calculations. I have read over a Greek play, and made out a
problem or two in mechanics, without being the worse for it; but,
somehow, I can't for the life of me hark back to the opinions that had
such power over me at Oxford. I can't even recollect the half of them.
It is as if that hemlock spruce had battered them out of my head.'

'Even like as a dream when one awaketh.'

'Something like it! Why, even _unknownst_ to you, Sweet Honey, I got at
one or two of the books I used to swear by, and somehow I could not see
the force of what they advanced. There's a futility about it all,
compared with the substance.'

'Before, you did not believe with your heart, so your understanding
failed to be convinced.'

'Partly so,' said Owen, thoughtfully. 'The fact is, that religion is so
much proved to the individual by personal experience and actual
sensation, that those who reason from without are on different ground,
and the _avocato del diavolo_ has often apparently the advantage, because
the other party's security is that witness in his own breast which cannot
be brought to light.'

'Only appar