all easily myself."

"I know you can. I do not wish you should."

"Then what will you give me to do?"

"Plenty."

"I don't care what--if I can only be busy. I cannot bear to be idle.
What shall I do, Basil?"

"Is there nothing you would like to study, that you have never had a
chance to learn?"

"Learn?" said Diana, a whole vista of possible new activities opening
all at once before her mind's eye;--"O yes! I would like to learn--to
study. What, Basil?"

"What would you like to take hold of?"

"I would like--Latin."

"Latin!" cried the minister. "That's an excellent choice. Greek too?"

"I would like to learn Greek, very much. But I suppose I must begin
with one at once."

"How about modern languages?"

"You know," said Diana shyly,--"I can have no teacher but you."

"And you stand in doubt as to my qualifications? Prudent!"

"I will learn anything you like to teach me," said Diana; and her look
was both very sweet and very humble; withal had something of an anxious
strain in it.

"Then there's another thing; don't you want to help me?"

"How?"

"In my work."

"How can I?"

"I don't believe you know what my work is," said the minister dryly.
"Do you, now?"

"I thought I did," said Diana.

"Preaching sermons, to wit!" said the minister. "But that is only one
item. My business is to work in my Master's vineyard."

"Yes, and I thought that was how you did it."

"But a man may preach many sermons, and do never a bit of work,--of the
sort I mentioned."

"What is the sort, then, Basil?"

"I'll show you when we get away from the table. It is time you knew."

So, when the supper tray and Miss Collins were gone, the minister took
his Bible and made Diana sit down beside him where they could both look
over it.

"Your notion of a minister is, that he is a sort of machine to make
sermons?"

"I never thought you were a _machine_, of any sort," said Diana gently.

"No, of course not; but you thought that was my special business,
didn't you? Now look here.--'Son of man, I have made thee a watchman
unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth and give
them warning from me.'"

"A watchman"--Diana repeated.

"It is a responsible post, too, for see over here,--'If the watchman
see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not
warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is
taken away in his iniquity; _but his blood will I require at the