could never manage
to find! Poor, sweet mother, no thanks to me, so far, that you haven't
utterly worn yourself out in the search for it."--He paused, and gazed
away out of the open casement.--"But I have a good hope that's all over
and done with now, and that at last I've found the thing myself."

And Katherine, still charmed, still anxious, looked down at him
wondering, for there was a perceptible undercurrent of emotion beneath
the lightness of his speech.

"However, all that will keep," he continued.--"How did you enjoy your
church? Did dear old Julius distinguish himself? How did he preach?"

And Katherine, still wondering, again answered literally.

"Very beautifully," she said, "with an unusual force and pathos. He
took the congregation not a little by storm. He fairly carried us
away. He was eloquent, and that with a simplicity which made one
question whether he did not speak out of some pressing personal
experience."--Katherine's manner was touched by a pretty edge of
pique.--"Really I believed I knew all about Julius and his doings by
this time, but it seems I don't! I think I must find out. It would vex
me that anything should happen in which he needed sympathy, and that I
did not offer it.--His subject was the answer to prayer and the
fulfilment of prophecy--and how both come, come surely and directly,
yet often in so different a form to that which, in our narrowness of
vision and dulness of sense, we anticipate, that we fail to recognise
either the answer or the fulfilment, and so miss the blessing they must
needs bring, and which is so richly, so preciously, ours if we had but
the wit to understand and lay hold of it."

Whereupon Richard smiled again.

"Yes," he said, "very probably Julius did speak out of personal
experience, or rather vicarious experience. However, I don't think he
need worry this time, at least I hope not. The answer to prayer and
fulfilment of prophecy, when they're good enough to come along, don't
always get the cold shoulder."--Then his expression changed, hardened a
little, his lips growing thin and his jaw set.--"Look here, mother," he
added, "I think perhaps I have been rather playing the fool lately,
since we came home. I propose to take to the ordinary habits of
civilised, Christian man again. If it doesn't bother you, would you
kindly let the servants know that I'm coming down to luncheon?"

"Oh! my dearest, how stupid of me, I'm so grieved!" Katherine cried.
She sat do