y.

'Here, Pitt,--I came to this. Now what does it mean?'

She gave him the volume open at the sixth chapter of Numbers; in the
end of which is the prescribed form for the blessing of the children of
Israel. Pitt read the words to himself.

'The Lord bless thee, and keep thee. 'The Lord make His face shine upon
thee, and be gracious unto thee. 'The Lord lift up His countenance upon
thee, and give thee peace.'

Esther waited till she saw he had read them through.

'Now, Pitt, what does that mean?'

'Which?'

'That last: "The Lord lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee
peace." What does "lift up his countenance upon thee" mean?'

What _did_ it mean? Pitt asked himself the question for the first time
in his life. He was quite silent.

'You see,' said Esther quaintly, after a pause,--'you see, _that_ would
be comfort.'

Pitt was still silent.

'Do you understand it, Pitt?'

'_Understand_ it, Esther!' he said, knitting his brows, 'No. Nobody
could do that, except--the people that had it. But I think I see what
it means.'

'The people "that had it"? That had what?'

'This wonderful thing.'

'What wonderful thing?'

'Queen Esther, you ought to ask your father.'

'I can't ask papa,' said the little girl. 'If ever I speak to him of
comfort, he thinks directly of mamma. I cannot ask him again.'

'And I am all your dependence?' he said half lightly.

'I mustn't depend upon you either. Only, now you are here, I thought I
would ask you.'

'You ought to have a better counsellor. However, perhaps I can tell
what you want to know, in part. Queen Esther, was your mother, or your
father, ever seriously displeased with you?'

Esther reflected, a little astonished, and then said no.

'I suppose not!' said Pitt. 'Then you don't know by experience what it
would be, to have either of them refuse to look at you or smile upon
you?--hide their face from you, in short?'

'Why, no! never.'

'You're a happy girl.'

'But what has that to do with it?'

'Nothing to do with it; it is the very contrast and opposite, in fact.
Don't you see? "Lift up the light of thy countenance;"--you know what
the "light" of a smiling, loving face of approval is? You know _that_,
Queen Esther?'

'That?' repeated Esther breathlessly. 'Yes, I know; but this is God.'

'Yes, and I do not understand; but that is what it means.'

'You don't understand!'

'No. How should I? But that is what it means. Something that answers