Hugh roused himself, and threw the watch on the table by Hirell's necklace.

That pin in your handkerchief.'

While Hugh was taking it out, a heavy marching tread was heard along the passage- a form stood in the doorway, and all but Mr. Lloyd recognised the burly figure and stronglyblotched face of the Calvinist preacher, the Rev. Ephraim Jones.

'Well, friend Elias,' he cried, in his loud, hoarse voice, wiping the moisture from his face, 'here you are, feasting like Job among his brethren, when the days of his trouble were passed. Well, shall I, like them, condole with you over the evils that are gone, or rejoice with you for the peace and plenty that have been showered on your house?

Elias looked at him, his clenched hand on the table-his nostrils distended.

'Do neither, friend Ephraim,' he answered, in a voice of hard, calm agony. 'Since you are come, assist me to set my house in order; for God hath commanded that Mammon shall depart from it! and I am sorely tasked in destroying his idols, and tearing his bonds from the hearts of my children.'

Robert Chamberlayne, seeing the minister stand amazed, went to him, and told him the truth, entreating him to prevail upon Elias to deal more gently with Hirell and Hugh. As he was speaking with him, Hirell and Kezia entered, pale and trembling. Their arms were full of things, with which they timidly approached Elias.

Hirell wore one of the very oldest and poorest of the dresses that were hers before the sudden change from poverty; for all the better ones had been given away by herself or Kezia to the poor. It was a dingy blue print, with white spots, made loose and fastened with a coarse cord girdle. She had only been used to wearing it for milking in on wet mornings, and on churning days, and had seldom sat down to any meal in it in the presence of her father and Hugh. Having now to come into the presence of so many in it, seemed to her to add greatly to the strange and sudden humiliation that had fallen upon the house. She had resisted, but Kezia in her great fear of Elias had been strong, and had forced her to do his will. Her white, stricken, terrified face, as she crept in at Kezia's side, with her beautiful dress in her arms, touched

Robert more than all her joyousness had done. His heart ached for her as she stood waiting for, but trembling to meet her father's look.

That look came upon her and Kezia, and on their gay load, quickly and sternly. It made Hirell's tears pour forth. She dropped her burden on the ground, and hid her face on Kezia's shoulder.

The sight did not move the pity, but roused the anger of Elias.

'What!' said he; 'is this a child of mine-shedding tears over such gauds as were worn by the daughters of Zion? Put them by!' he cried, turning to Hugh, and pointing to the heap of things on the table and to the open trunk. Let them go out of my sight-out of my house-back to where they came from; back to the world of vanity, and deceit, and snares. Hirell, if you will not, or cannot assist, go; but do not hinder. Kezia, help Hugh to put those things in.'

Kezia gently withdrew herself from Hirell, and went on her knees before the trunk, meekly laying in the things as Hugh gave them to her.

Hirell, as she stood alone, seemed to see every form and object before her begin to swell and sway; a chill crept over all her limbs; and she would have fallen but for the rough grasp of the minister's hand on her shoulder.

The child is sick,' he said, looking down at her kindly. She struggled with her faintness for a moment, then turned deadly white, and fell against him, cold and powerless.

Hugh and Kezia left their task, and went to her then; while the minister rested his foot on the open trunk, the better to support her.

Elias stood looking on with folded arms and compressed lips. Robert and the curate could not take their eyes from her face till they saw the sweet faint colour returning to her cheek, and the little mouth struggling for breath. She opened her eyes, and looked at the minister gratefully. He was moved. He had no thought but that her distress was for the loss of her fine clothes-as Elias had so spoken; but her anguish, and her pure and exquisite beauty penetrated to his rugged. heart.

He glanced into the trunk, and shook his head as she opened her eyes upon him, and said with a rough tenderness in his loud, harsh voice

'Foolish maiden! what need hast thou of these things, thou lily of the field ? '

Kezia led her to a seat in the chimney-corner, and Mr. Lloyd came and sat by her, trying to give her words of comfort.

You must let my daughter come and see you,' he said; 'she is wiser in sorrow than yourself. Your garb is the garb of poverty-so is hers, poor child! but Hirell, it is black."

Kezia and Hugh were again at work, under the direction of Elias; and the Reverend Ephraim Jones, seeing there was no staying the turn of his friend's mind, and having, moreover, a secret exultation in the spirit of stern integrity that was ruling him, tendered his hearty assistance; and fell to cording the hampers with as much vigour, good-will, and grim satisfaction, as if Satan himself were confined in them, to be banished piecemeal out of the world.

Hugh had been sent out to give orders for the red wagon to be taken back to its maker; and to stop the two gardeners, who were at work making paths, rooting up old shrubs, and planting new ones. Kezia was still busy, though even Elias and Ephraim Jones had paused, and were standing wiping their brows before the open window.

For a moment there was a pause and a deep silence, broken only by the stifled sobbing of the poor frightened servant-girl, as she assisted Kezia.

In this pause and quietness, there came to the ears of all, with sad significance, the distant noise of the workmen at the chapel.

'Friend Ephraim,' said Elias, turning to him with gleaming eyes, 'the chapel shall not be stopped! What I have bought with this money for the uses of the flesh and the devil, I take back from the flesh and the devil; but rather than take that back which I have bought and consecrated for God's use, I will beg-I will beg!'

'And I, too, Elias;' answered the minister, extending his hand, red with the labour he had just ceased from. 'I will beg for you rather than stop that work. One triumph you shall have one sweet drop in your cup of bitterness!'

Hugh now came in with money in his hand, which had been given to one of the men entrusted to make a purchase at Dolgarrog. He gave it to Elias across the long narrow table, on opposite sides of which the brothers were standing.

While Hugh was out, the servant, in fulfilling Kezia's orders, had moved the old clothes-horse from before the harp.

Elias, as he took the money from Hugh, glanced round and round, and saw the instrument standing there. He glanced back at Hugh with the ferocity of a tigress who would defend her young from pain, and saw his eyes were on it with a great light in them.

Then the eyes of the brothers met. Elias dropped into a chair, covered his face with one hand, and flung the other across the table towards Hugh.

The lad's slim fingers for an instant quivered in a sort of agony over the clenched hand of Elias; then his young face and form became suddenly inspired as with the spirit of the ancient Celtic warriors. He rose, he touched his brother's hand with a light thrilling pressure, he spoke clearly and musically:

'Elias, do but lend it to me to show you how I thank you, and it shall go back at once.'

Elias lifted his heavy head to look after him as he went and uncovered the harp.

The minister watched him, and gave a sort of grunt of assent as he sat down.

'Ay, play to him, young man,' he said; 'comfort him if Comfort his heart, as David comforted the heart of

you can.

Saul.'

Hugh seated himself on a box beside the harp and began to play.

His prelude was rough, chaotic-stormy. The minister liked it, and half-groaned now and then, in sympathy with its strength and mountainous rudeness. Minute after minute passed without one sweet strain coming. Robert Chamberlayne began to think he did not like the harp; but Hugh's other listeners were all Welsh mountaineers, and knew well to what loveliness they were climbing so laboriously. The change was sudden-instantaneous. All at once, out of that tumultuous, crashing winter of sound, the summer of his music stole upon them-perfect, fresh, dewy, full-blossomed, balmy, intoxicating.

In one minute Hugh had made a heaven, and drawn every soul present into it. Hirell came and sat on a low box near him, her sweet face lifted like a flower, athirst for dew. Elias kept his hand before his eyes. Kezia watched him with the

joy of a mother who has seen water in the desert for her perishing children.

Workmen from the chapel, who had come to ask questions about their work, crept near the open window, keeping out of sight.

Young god of the world he had made, Hugh sat glowing with triumph, and smiling with happy scorn on the baskets of the upgathered feast of fortune from which he had been driven.

He stopped-gave up his godhood, and became a man? No, a boy-flushed, trembling, abashed.

Elias slowly moved his hand from his eyes. 'Hugh!'

In an instant Hugh's hand was in his. Then a cry of more passionate love went from Elias :

'Hirell!'

The girl cried out and ran to him.

Come,' said the curate, softly to Robert; and they went out. The Reverend Ephraim Jones stood irresolute, then went towards the door.

Before he reached it, a broken voice called after him— 'Nay, friend Ephraim, do not leave us. I had prepared to receive you a table on which was spread good silver plate and wine. But stay with me now, I entreat you, and eat at my table, though my "silver is become dross," and my "wine is

mixed with water."'

CHAPTER XIV.

ROBERT CHAMBERLAYNE DOES ELIAS YET ANOTHER
SERVICE.

WHEN Robert Chamberlayne left Bod Elian, he went back to Abbey Farm with the curate, and did not return to Dolgarrog till the shops were closing, and the guide to Criba Ban was driving out his hard-worked ponies into the meadow behind the town.

A group stood round the door of the old Council House. Robert recognised the little tailor to whom Hugh's clothes had been sent back. He was reading the list of things he had