ws," said Diana, speaking carefully.

"Precisely. And the Bible cry to men is, that they would 'know the
Lord.' For want of that knowledge, all goes wild."

"Do you mean that that will take the place of everything else?" said
Diana, lifting her weary eyes to him. They were strong, beautiful eyes
too, but the light of hope was gone, and all sparkle of pleasure, out
of them. The look struck to the minister's heart. He answered, however,
with no change of tone.

"I mean, that it more than takes the place of everything else."

"Not replace what is lost," said Diana sadly.

"More than replace it, even when one has lost all."

"That can't be!--that must be impossible, sometimes," said Diana. "I
don't believe you know."

"Yes, I do," said the minister gravely.

"People would not be human."

"Very human--tenderly human. Do you really think, Miss Diana, that he
who made our hearts, made them larger than he himself can fill?"

Diana sat silent a while, and the minister stood considering her; his
heart strained with sympathy and longing to give her help, and at the
same time doubting how far he might or dared venture. Diana on her part
fearing to show too much, but remembering also that this chance might
never repeat itself. The fear of losing it began to overtop all other
fear. So she began again.

"But, Mr Masters--this, that you speak of--I haven't got it; and I
don't understand it. What shall I do?"

"Get it."

"How?"

"Seek it in the appointed way."

"What is that?"

"Jesus said, 'He that hath my commandments and keepeth them, he it is
that loveth me; and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father; and
I will love him, and _will manifest myself to him_.'"

"But I do not love him."

"Then pray as Moses prayed,--'I beseech thee, show me thy glory.'"

Diana's head sank a little. "I have no heart to give to anything!" she
confessed.

"What has become of it?" asked the minister daringly.

"Don't people sometimes lose heart without any particular reason?"

"No; never."

"I have reason, though," said Diana.

"I see that."

"You do not know--?" said Diana, facing him with a startled movement.

"No. I know nothing, Miss Diana. I guess."

She sat with her face turned from him for a while; then, perhaps
reminded by the blast of wind and snow which at the moment came round
the house furiously and beat on the windows, she went on hastily:

"You wonder to see me here; but I ran away from home; and I