in a rather more subdued and less confident spirit. That affair of the
ring could not be entirely forgotten.

In due course of time, the minister on the station had to leave, and a
new one was appointed by the conference to take his place. The Rev. Mr.
C-- arrived early in the week, and during the period that elapsed
between that and the Sabbath, visited a good deal among the brethren.
During that time, an evening was spent at Mr. Harrison's, but no one
brought him around to introduce him to Mr. Grant. The jeweller felt
this, and in his mind, in searching about for reasons, rested, very
naturally, upon the affair of the gold ring, and he did not doubt but
the occurrence had been fully related to Mr. C--.

Under this feeling, Mr. Grant went to church. His first sight of the
new preacher was when he arose in the pulpit to give out the hymn. His
countenance did not make a very favourable impression, but his voice,
when he commenced reading the hymn, had a tone and a modulation that
were pleasing. The subject of the discourse which followed was
practical, and had reference to a man's conduct towards his fellow-man
in the common affairs of life. From general propositions, the minister,
after entering upon his sermon, came down to things particular. He
dwelt upon the love of dominion so deeply rooted in the human heart,
and showed, in various ways, how it was exercised by individuals in all
the grades of common society.

"A more deeply-rooted evil than this," he went on to say, "is theft. We
all inherit, in a greater or less degree, the desire to possess our
neighbour's goods; and, with the earliest development of the mind,
comes the activity of that desire. It is seen in the child when he
appropriates the plaything of another child, and in the so-called good
and honest citizen when, in bargaining, he secures an advantage at the
expense of his brother."

Descending, gradually, to the introduction of particular forms of
overreaching as practised in trade, all of which Mr. C-- designated as
instances of theft, he finally brought forward an instance so nearly
resembling the one in which Mr. Grant had been engaged, that the latter
felt himself, as has been seen, particularly pointed out, and left the
church at the close of the service in a state of excitement and
indignation. To have that old matter, about which he had already
suffered enough, "raked over," as he said, "and exposed to light
again," was a little more than he