great," replied the nephew.

"Well?" exclaimed the uncle, inquiringly.

"You ordered me to act as a Christian," returned the young man, with a
slight smile, "and you know it takes time to do that."

"True--true. And you have brought me the list?"

"No, uncle."

"What mean you, boy?"

"I mean that I have obeyed your first command; I have been to the
Christian meeting _as a Christian_."

A puzzled, inquiring look overspread the premier's countenance.

"Well, what then?"

"Well, then, of course I acted the part of a Christian to the best of my
power. I told them why I had been sent, warned them of the evil
intended them, and advised them to escape for their lives; but, as no
immediate danger was to be feared, I joined them in their worship."

"And you have brought no list?"

"None."

Rainiharo's visage, while his nephew spoke, was a sight to behold; for
the conflicting emotions aroused produced a complexity of expression
that is quite indescribable.

"Young man!" he said, sternly, "you have disobeyed my orders. Why have
you done this? Your head must fall, for you show that you are a
Christian."

With great simplicity and gentleness Soa said:

"Yes, my uncle, I _am_ a Christian; and if you please you may put me to
death, for I _do_ pray to Jesus."

Utterly confounded by this straightforward and fearless reply, Rainiharo
stood for some moments gazing in silent wonder at the youth who thus
calmly stood prepared to abide the consequences of his confession. At
first it almost seemed as if, in his anger, he would with his own hand,
then and there, inflict the punishment he threatened; but once again, as
in the case of Ranavalona, love proved more powerful than anger.

"No, no, boy," he said, turning away with a wave of his hand, as if to
dismiss the subject finally, "you shall not die. It is a delusion. You
deceive yourself. Go. Leave me!"

Soa obeyed, and went straight to the apartment of Prince Rakota to
relate to that fast friend and comrade his recent adventures, and
consult with him about the dark cloud that threatened to burst in
persecution over the unhappy land.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Note 1. A Bible of the kind here described may now be seen in the
Museum of the British and Foreign Bible Society, 146 Queen Victoria
Street, London, just as it was dug up out of the earth, where it had
been buried by christian natives who probably peri