a sharp one; but the Lord knew
that you could stand that trial. And now he has brought you out of it
as gold purified in the furnace."

"I don't know, dear sir," was her reply; "I can see plenty of the dross
in myself, but yet I do hope and trust that the chastening has not been
altogether in vain."

"I will leave you now, Jane," said the vicar, rising, "and I shall be
delighted to hear from your brother's own lips all about his finding the
long-missing bag."

CHAPTER NINETEEN.

FULL SATISFACTION.

On the afternoon of the next day after his disclosure of the good news
to Jane Bradly, the vicar received a note from herself, asking the
favour, if quite convenient, of the company of himself and his sister,
Miss Maltby, at a simple tea at Thomas's house. Gladly complying with
this request, the invited guests entered their host's hospitable kitchen
at half-past six o'clock, and found just himself and his family, ready
to greet them.

"I'm glad to see you safe back again, Thomas," said Mr Maltby, as he
took his seat by Mrs Bradly, Jane being on his other hand.

"And right glad I am to find myself safe back again," said the other.
"London's no place for me. I got my head so full of horses and
carriages, and ladies and gentlemen, and houses of all sorts and sizes,
that I could scarce get a wink of sleep last night; and as for that
underground railway, why it's like as if all the world was running away
from all the rest of the world, without waiting to say `good-bye.'"

"And so you've found the bag at last?" said Miss Maltby.

"If you please, ma'am," said Thomas, "I thought, with your leave, not
meaning to be uncivil, and with the vicar's leave, we'd just let that
matter be till tea's over, and then go right into it. None of us has
looked inside the bag since I came back, not even Jane; she's been quite
content to wait and take my word for it as all's right. I thought as
I'd just tell my story in my own way, and then you'd all of you be able
to see how wonderfully all has been ordered."

"Nothing can be better than that, I'm sure; don't you think so, Ernest?"
said Miss Maltby.

"Yes," replied her brother; "it is a privilege to be thus invited to
`rejoice with them that do rejoice,' as we have wept with you when you
wept. So you shall tell us your story, Thomas, at your own time, for
that will be the best.--And now let me know how you found Dr Prosser
and his wife, and if all was right about poor Lydia Phi