" said the girl. "I did not think much of the storm,
till I was so far on the way that it was as easy to come on as to go
back."

A light rejoinder, which would have been given to anybody else, was
checked on Mr. Masters' lips by the abstracted, apart air with which
these words were spoken. He gave one or two inquisitive glances at the
speaker, and was silent. Diana roused herself.

"Has nobody at all come to church?"

"Nobody but Mr. St. Clair"--(he was the old sexton.) "And he has such a
bad cold that I took pity on him and sent him home. I promised him I
would shut up the church for him--when it was necessary to leave it.
_He_ was in no condition to be preached to."

He half expected Diana would propose the shutting up of the church at
once, and the ensuing return home of the two people there; but instead
of that, she drew up a stool and sat down.

"You will not be able to preach to-day," she remarked.

"Not to much of a congregation," said the minister. "I will do my best
with what I have."

"Are you going to preach to me?" said Diana, with a ghost of a smile.

"If you demand it! You have an undoubted right."

Diana sat silent. The warmth of the room was very pleasant. Also the
security. Not from the storm, which howled and dashed upon the windows
and raged round the building and the world generally; but from that
other storm and whirl of life. Diana did not want just yet to be at
home. Furthermore, she had a dim notion of using her opportunity. She
thought how she could do it; and the minister, standing by, watched
her, with some secret anxiety but an extremely calm exterior.

"You must give me the text, Miss Diana," he ventured presently.

Diana sat still, musing. "Mr. Masters," she said at last, very slowly,
in order that the composure of it might be perfect,--"will you tell me
what is the good of life?"

"To yourself, you mean?"

"Yes. For me--or for anybody."

"I should say briefly, that God makes all His creatures to be happy."

"Happy!" echoed Diana, with more sharpness of accent than she knew.

"Yes."

"But, Mr. Masters, suppose--suppose that is impossible?"

"It never is impossible."

"That sounds--like--mockery," said Diana. "Only you never do say
mocking things."

"I do not about this."

"But, Mr. Masters!--surely there are a great many people in the world
that are not happy?"

"A sorrowful truth. How comes Diana Starling to be one of them?"

And saying this, the minister h