esus Christ, and all his business
is to deliver his message and get people to hear it."

Mrs. Sutphen looked at Diana over the table, and evidently pricked up
her ears; but Diana spoke quite simply, rather slowly; she was thinking
how Basil had often seemed to her in his ministry, in and out of the
pulpit.

"My dear," said the old lady, "if your husband is like that, do you
know you are married to quite a remarkable man?"

"I thought as much a great while ago."

"And what sort of a pastor's wife do you make? You are a very handsome
woman to be a minister's wife."

"Am I? Why should not a handsome woman be the wife of a minister?"

"Why, she should, if she can make up her mind to it. Well, my dear, if
you will have no more breakfast, perhaps you will like to go and rest.
Do you enjoy bathing?"

Diana did not take the bearing of the question.

"I go into the water every morning," the old lady explained. "You had
better do the same. It will strengthen you."

"Into the water! You mean the salt water?"

"Of course I mean the salt water. There isn't any fresh water to go
into, and no good if there was."

"I never tried salt water. I never saw salt water before."

"Do you good," said the old lady. "Well, go and sleep, my dear. Basil
says you want rest."

But that way of taking it was not Diana's need, or purpose. She
withdrew into her cool green-shaded room, and as the baby still slept,
set open the blind doors which made that pleasant green shade, and sat
down on the threshold to be quiet, and enjoy the view. The water was
within a few rods of her window; nothing but a narrow strip of grass
and a little picket fence intervening between the house and the sandy
bit of beach. The waves were rolling in from the Narrows, which here
were but a short distance to the eastward; and across the broad belt of
waters she could see the low shore of Long Island on the other side.
Diana put her head out of the door, and there, seven miles away to the
west and north, she could see where a low, hovering, light smoke cloud
told of the big city to which it owed its origin. Over the bay sails
were flitting, not swiftly, for the air was only very gently stirring;
but they were many, near and far, of different sizes and forms; and the
mighty tide was rushing in with wonderful life and energy in its green
waves. Diana's senses were like those of a person enchanted. She drew
in the salt, lively air; she looked at the cool lights and s