fact, she loves the child, you see; and she fears that a confession
of her sin--a confession of repentance, you know--might give the
world to think that her love had failed--that she wished the
child--well--unborn. She would not appear disloyal to Judith, I
fear, even to save her soul. A peculiar case, is it not? A difficult
case, I fear."

"I see," said Parson Lute, tapping his nose reflectively. "The child
is the obstacle. A valuable hint in that. Well, I may be able to do
something, with God's help."

"God bless you, brother!"

They shook hands....

* * * * *

My uncle was returned from Topmast Harbor. I paused but to bid him
urgently to the bedside of Elizabeth, then ran on to rejoin the
parson at the turn of the road. By night, in a gale of wind and rain
from the east, was no time for Parson Lute, of Yellow Tail Tickle, to
be upon the long road to Whisper Cove. But the rough road, and the
sweep of the wind, and the steep ascents, and the dripping limbs, and
the forsaken places lying hid in the dark, and the mud and torrents,
and the knee-deep, miry puddles seemed not to be perceived by him as
he stumbled after me. He was praying aloud--importunately, as it is
written. He would save the soul of Elizabeth, that man; the faith, the
determination were within him. 'Twas fair pitiful the way he besought
the Lord. And he made haste; he would pause only at the crests of the
hills--to cough and to catch his breath. I was hard driven that
night--straight into the wind, with the breathless parson forever at
my heels. I shall never forget the exhibition of zeal. 'Twas divinely
unselfish--'twas heroic as men have seldom shown heroism. Remembering
what occurred thereafter, I number the misguided man with the holy
martyrs. At the Cock's Crest, whence the road tumbled down the cliff
to Whisper Cove, the wind tore the breath out of Parson Lute, and the
noise of the breakers, and the white of the sea beyond, without mercy,
contemptuous, confused him utterly.

He fell.

"Tis near at hand, sir!" I pleaded with him.

He was up in a moment. "Let us press on, Daniel," said he, "to the
salvation of that soul. Let us press on!"

We began the descent....

XIII

JUDITH ABANDONED

I left the parson in the kitchen to win back his breath. He was near
fordone, poor man! but still entreatingly prayed, in sentences broken
by consumptive spasms, for wisdom and faith and the fire of