, that God is a real
Presence and an actual Help. There! I see Miss Bowater wants me
gone; so I am off. I shall hear of you."

Herbert was exhausted with the exertion, and only exchanged a close
pressure of the hand, and when Jenny came back, after seeing the
lady to the door, she thought there were tears on his cheek, and
bent down to kiss him.

"That was just the way, Jenny," his low, tired voice said. "I never
could recollect what I wanted to say. Only just those few Psalms
that you did manage to teach me before I went to school, they came
back and back."

Jenny had no time to answer, for the feet of Philip were on the
stairs. He had been visiting Mrs. Hornblower, and persuading her
that to make a dragoon of her son was the very best thing for him--
great promotion, and quite removed from the ordinary vulgar
enlistment in the line--till he had wiled consent out of her. And
though Philip declared it was blarney, and was inclined to think it
infra dig. to have thus exerted his eloquence, it was certain that
Mrs. Hornblower would console herself by mentioning to her
neighbours that her son was gone in compliment to Captain Bowater,
who had taken a fancy to him.

The relief to Herbert was infinite; but he was by this time too much
tired to do anything but murmur his thanks, and wish himself safe
back in his bed, and Philip's strong-armed aid in reaching that
haven was not a little appreciated.

Julius looked in with his mother's entreaty that Philip, and if
possible his sister, should come up to eat their Christmas dinner at
the Hall; and Herbert, wearily declaring that sleep was all he
needed, and that Cranky would be more than sufficient for him,
insisted on their accepting the invitation; and Jenny was not sorry,
for she did not want a tete-a-tete with Philip so close to her
patient's room, that whatever he chose to hear, he might.

She had quite enough of it in the walk to the Hall. Phil, with the
persistency of a person bent on doing a kind thing, returned to his
York plan, viewing it as excellent relaxation for a depressed, over-
worked man, and certain it would be a great treat to 'little Herb.'
He still looked on the tall young man as the small brother to be
patronized, and protected, and dragged out of home-petting; so he
pooh-poohed all Jenny's gentler hints as to Herbert's need of care
and desire to return to his work, until she was obliged to say
plainly that he had entreated her to beg it mi