ush-plaiting,
and Mrs Wade went up to the stile which led to the way over the fields
towards Colchester. As she came near, sheltered by the hedge, she heard
a little voice.

"Yea, though I walk in vale of death,
Yet will I fear no ill:
Thy rod, Thy staff, doth comfort me,
And Thou art with me still."

Mrs Wade crept softly along till she could see through the hedge. The
stile was a stone one, with steps on each side, such as may still be
seen in the north of England: and on the top step sat Cissy, resting her
head upon her hand, and looking earnestly in the direction of
Colchester.

"What dost there, my dear heart?" Mrs Wade asked gently.

"I'm looking at Father," said Cissy, rather languidly. She spoke as if
she were not well, and could not care much about anything.

"`Looking at Father'! What dost thou mean, my child?"

"Well, you see that belt of trees over yonder? When the sun shines, I
can see All Hallows' tower stand up against it. You can't see it
to-day: it does not shine; but it's there for all that. And Father's
just behind in the Castle: so I haven't any better way to look at him.
Only God looks at him, you know; they can't bar Him out. So I come
here, and look as far as I can, and talk to God about Father. I can't
see Father, but he's there: and I can't see God, but He's there too: and
He's got to see to Father now I can't."

The desolate tone of utter loneliness in the little voice touched Mrs
Wade to the core of her great warm heart.

"My poor little Cicely!" she said. "Doth Ursula use thee well?"

"Yes, I suppose so," said Cissy, in a quiet matter-of-fact way; "only
when I won't pray to her big image, she slaps me. But she can't make me
do it. Father said not. It would never do for God to see us doing
things Father forbade us, because he's shut up and can't come to us.
I'm not going to pray to that ugly thing: never! And if it was pretty,
it wouldn't make any difference, when Father said not."

"No, dear heart, that were idolatry," said Mrs Wade.

"Yes, I know," replied Cissy: "Father said so. But Ursula says the
Black Sisters will make me, or they'll put me in the well. I do hope
God will keep away the Black Sisters. I ask Him every day, when I've
done talking about Father. I shouldn't like them to put me in the
well!" and she shuddered. Evidently Ursula had frightened her very much
with some story about this. "But God would be there, in the well,
wouldn't He?