no such things as care and sorrow in the wide
world, when Soa, the prime minister's nephew, with his guide, approached
the forest in which was the cavern where the persecuted Christians had
arranged to hold their secret meeting.

"I am to go as a Christian!" thought Soa, as he walked on swiftly and in
silence, "as a Christian hypocrite and spy!"

The young man's countenance relaxed into something like a smile as he
thought thus; then it became solemnised as he offered the silent prayer,
"Lord, enable me to do the work honestly and well."

The way was long, but the youth's limbs were strong and agile, so that
night had not long overspread the land when he reached the end of his
journey. The night was unusually dark--well adapted for deeds of
secrecy and crime. If it had been lighter the two spies would have seen
a number of men and women, and even children, hurrying along stealthily
in the same direction with themselves. They observed only two or three
of these, however, who chanced to fall in their way. They loomed up
suddenly like spectres out of the surrounding darkness and as quickly
melted into it again. Soa paid no attention to these apparitions,
neither did he utter a word to his companion during the journey.

Most of the way he kept a pace or two in advance of his guide, but when
they reached the more intricate and broken grounds of the forest, he
fell behind and suffered the other to lead.

At last the path wound so much among broken rocks and over steep knolls
that their progress became very slow--all the more so that the
overshadowing trees rendered the darkness profound. Sometimes they had
to clamber up steep places on hands and knees.

Suddenly they were arrested by what seemed to them a faint cry or wail.
Listening intently, they perceived that the sounds were musical.

"The Christians are singing," said the spy in a tone which, low though
it was, betrayed a touch of contempt. "They hold their meeting in a
cave on the other side of this mound."

"Remain here, then, till I return to you," said Soa. "They know you to
be a spy. They will not suppose that _I_ have come in such a capacity."

The man gave vent to a slight laugh at the supposed joke and sat down,
while the courtier advanced alone.

On the other side of the mound the sounds which had reached the
listeners' ears as a wail, now swelled upon the young man as a
well-known hymn, in which he had many times joined. A feeling of joy,
a