ns from his cheeks
and hands, and to declare that if he had not to march to-morrow, he
should bring that singular Christian man, Captain Venn, to exorcise the
haunt of Apollyon. Wherewith he bade them all farewell, with hopes that
by the time he saw them again, they would have come to the knowledge of
the truth.

No sooner was he out of sight among the bushes than Emlyn seized on
Rusha, and whirled her round in a dance as well as her more substantial
proportions would permit, while Steadfast let his countenance expand
into the broad grin that he had all this time been stifling.

"What _do_ you think it was?" asked Patience, still awestruck.

"Why--the old owl--and his own bad conscience. He might talk big, but he
didn't half like going against poor father. Thank God! He has saved His
own, and that's over!"

CHAPTER XV. A TABLE OF LOVE IN THE WILDERNESS.

"Yet along the Church's sky
Stars are scattered, pure and high;
Yet her wasted gardens bear
Autumn violets, sweet and rare,
Relics of a Spring-time clear,
Earnests of a bright New Year." KEBLE

No more was heard or seen of Jephthah, or of Captain Venn's troop. The
garrison within Bristol was small and unenterprising, and in point of
fact the war was over. News travelled slowly, but Stead picked up scraps
at Bristol, by which he understood that things looked very bad for the
King. Moreover, Sir George Elmwood died of his wounds; poor old Lady
Elmwood did not long survive him, and the estate, which had been left
to her for her life, was sequestrated by the Parliament, and redeemed
by the next heir after Sir George, so that there was an exchange of
the Lord of the Manor. The new squire was an elderly man, hearty and
good-natured, who did not seem at all disposed to interfere with any one
on the estate. He was a Presbyterian, and was shocked to find that
the church had been unused for three years. He had it cleaned from the
accumulation of dirt and rubbish, the broken windows mended with plain
glass, and the altar table put down in the nave, as it had been before
Mr. Holworth's time; and he presented to the living Mr. Woodley, a
scholarly-looking person, who wore a black gown and collar and bands.

The Elmwood folk were pleased to have prayers and sermon again, and
Patience was glad that the children should not grow up like heathens;
but her first church going did not satisfy her entirely.

"It is all strange," she