Robert stood looking very serious and astonished.

There,' said Kezia, when she had got her a little quiet, now see how well master Robert is looking; I shouldn't have guessed he had been ill at all if I hadn't known all about it; no, indeed!'

6

Robert!' said Hirell, smiling through her tears, and holding out her hand 'I couldn't help it-I think I never was so startled.'

What, did you take me for my own ghost, Hirell?' asked Robert.

'I thought I was afraid-you were to be as I left you a long time-much longer than this. And you came in looking as well as if nothing had happened. It is no wonder I was startled, Robert. When one has got used to everything being quite changed, it does startle one to see anybody looking so exactly the same as ever, as you did when you came in. I am very glad, more glad than I can say, Robert, to see you so.'

This speech was a great deal more sweet to Robert than Hirell had intended to make it. It made him happier than she had any idea of; and enabled him to talk to her with less restraint than there had been between them for a very long while.

She was greatly interested in all the Nytimber gossip that he brought, and felt as if it came from a place in which many years of her life had been spent.

Elias welcomed Robert a great deal more warmly than he had taken leave of him when he had last left Bod Elian; and even smiled slightly several times, during supper, at Robert's accounts of Mr. Wrigley's blunders with his new machines.

It was not till just before prayers that Kezia told him of the visit they were daily expecting, and then all his happiness seemed gone like a dream, and he could not tell how it had taken possession of him. He had know, he told himself-he had known, ever since Hirell came to Kent, that she would marry Cunliff at last, whatever happened to make him think otherwise.

The next day was Friday, and Robert spent it with his old tutor at the Abbey Farm. He went to church in the evening, and saw Mr. Rhys alone in the Dola' Hudol pew-looking so much older and less strong than in the old days, that Robert scarcely at first knew him.

He got back to Bod Elian too soon to evade the ministers

who had been there to arrange with Elias certain matters connected with the next Sunday's meeting. When he saw Elias taking leave of some one at the door, in the twilight, Robert's heart grew cold and heavy. It must be Cunliff. He had been, then. All was settled; and how?

When he went in, after watching the retreating figure in the dusk, he thought he had never heard such music as the voice of Elias, when it said to him rather reproachfully

'I would you had come a minute sooner, Robert Chamberlayne, that you might have met our gifted young friend, the Reverend Griffith Griffiths, who has but just now left us.'

Robert was so greatly relieved that he was able to express quite a lively regret at having lost the chance of making the young minister's acquaintance.

The evening was concluded by the usual prayers, and an additional one for a blessing on the great undertakings of to

morrow.

CHAPTER LIV.

HIRELL'S CALL.

ALL at Bod Elian were stirring early on the morning of the great day.

Robert was out in time to help Hirell with her little farmyard duties, as, indeed, he had been every morning since his arrival, making Hirell half pleased, half vexed.

On that Sunday she had risen earlier, on purpose to avoid him; and when she saw him sitting on the kennel playing with the dogs and waiting for her, she returned his 'goodmorning' with a something so like a frown that it perplexed Robert; and made him steal an uneasy, inquiring glance at her, which Hirell returned with a very bright, impatient, almost angry one, and they went to their work in silenceHirell finishing nearly everything Robert tried to do.

One of the cows was ill, and Hirell had to see it take something her father had prepared for it. While they were waiting, Robert ventured a word of advice, but Hirell instead of answering, pulled her hymn-book out of her pocket, and began studying it.

'Well,' said Robert, losing patience, 'if I'm not wanted, I'd better go.'

'Do, Robert,' answered Hirell, almost sadly, 'and be ashamed of me as I am of myself. You thought better of me, 1 thought better of myself, than that I should hate you seeing all our wretched little contrivances and meannesses, because I've seen how different your place is. I ought not to feel it -I ought not to mind you seeing me do things that you set your ploughboys to do. Go in to breakfast, Robert, and don't be hurt-I'll pray to-day for my pride to be broken, and a better spirit given me, so that I can bear to have a fine gentleman opening and shutting doors and lifting pails for me, and bear to know he's thinking-" and she expected to be Lady Cunliff." There, go along, Robert, I know you are going to say something kind, but I won't hear it. I'm wicked, but I'm not a child-I won't be petted out of my wickedness-I'll get rid of it; I'll humble my spirit to-day by taking to myself the harshest condemnations that Ephraim Jones hurls at the miners.'

Smiling with tears in her eyes, she pushed him gently out of the shed, then shut herself in.

Robert, after a moment's hesitation and perplexity, went in, and as usual told his troubles to Kezia, who took his assistance at the same time gratefully enough.

At breakfast a minister came in hot haste with a letter which he had received from the Reverend Ephraim Jones, who sent word to say that he should not be able to get to Capel Illtyd in time to address his dear brethren there after the morning service, as he had intended. He gave up his task, he said, to no one save Elias Morgan, the founder of the chapel, himself; whom he solemnly commanded to take his place, and not to heed the promptings of Satan to shrink from his duty, but to speak out of the fulness of the truth within him.

Elias was much disturbed by the unlooked-for summons, and retired to ask Divine aid and countenance for such a task.

He returned in a little while, looking calmer and resigned, but anxious.

'I am willing to undertake the trust which is given so suddenly into my hands,' he said to the young minister, but I have a weakness to contend with, which our reverend friend has overlooked. I know not how to express myself freely in the English language.'

A A

This was a fact which no one present could doubt. Though Elias spoke English correctly, it was in a slow and rather stilted manner, that must spoil any eloquence he might be inspired with, while taking Ephraim Jones's place.

Hirell had been thinking of it ever since the minister's message had been delivered, and wondering how the difficulty was to be met, for she knew that by far the greater part of the open-air meeting after the service consisted of English and Irish miners.

'Could you, friend Evans, render my words into English as I go on, if I preach in my own tongue?' inquired Elias.

The young minister looked very dubious, and said he did not think it would do-no, he did not at all think it would do. Hirell felt greatly relieved when she heard brother Evans refuse the task, for she knew it was quite impossible he could do justice to her father's thoughts. He was an amiable, industrious young man, yet he had by no means a strong or original mind; but was, as Ephraim Jones had once described him, 'one of the many who stood forth to smite Satan, but could never do more than tickle him.'

'Could the gifted Griffith Griffiths?' Elias asked.

No. Brother Evans knew he had to hurry away directly after the service, as he was to preach at Aber in the afternoon. Besides, brother Evans thought it decidedly would not do; nobody could translate quick enough.

As Elias looked along the table, from one face to another, his eye fell suddenly on what appeared to him a message from Heaven that put an end to all his difficulty. It was Hirell's face looking towards him full of light, and wistful, solemn inquiry. He knew it said to him—

Father, shall I do?' and he answered instantly aloud, and with glad emotion

'Hirell, beam of light indeed, your call has come! this work is yours-no other's. Be at peace, brother Evans, the multitude shall be spoken to in two tongues at once.'

When Hirell rose with changing colour and trembling hands from her place, Robert, who had not been able to understand the whole of what had passed, the minister and Elias having spoken in Welsh, began to suspect something of the truth, and asked Kezia what it was. When she told him, he turned quickly to Elias, exclaiming

'No, no, surely, Morgan, you would never let her do that.' Elias looked at him with calm contempt.

6 If you choose to come with us, Robert Chamberlayne,' he said, 'it may be you will be glad the mission has been sent to her. Come, Hirell. We will go and pray together. Brother Evans, your time is precious-we will not keep you.'

'I should never have believed it of Elias,' cried Robert, walking about indignantly, when he was alone with Kezia. 'It wouldn't matter so much for any other woman-but Hirell! Hirell to be stared at and talked over by hundreds of tipsy miners.'

Ah, Master Robert, leave it to Elias,' said Kezia soothingly. He knows what is best. He has wonderful lights; and ah, dear Hirell! it will be a sight to see her giving out her father's sayings, and crowds and crowds looking at her. I always said she was one of the holy women, such as the blessed Paul loved and sent greetings to by Phebe, and now I must get my bonnet on, and be all ready to help the dear child.'

CHAPTER LV.

AT THE MARTYR'S OAK.

THEY went out together, Hirell walking with her father, Robert with Kezia.

Hirell had since 'her call' changed her dress for a very old black one of Kezia's, and wore black gloves and bonnet.

'Is this part of the humiliation of the day, Hirell?' whispered Robert, touching her sleeve as she waited with him and Kezia, while her father was talking to a group of friends just arrived from Dolgarrog.

She looked down at her rusty dress, and answered—
'No, Robert, this is not humility, this again is pride.'
'How's that?'

'Don't you see that, as the bearer of good tidings, it would better become me to put on cheerful colours, to remember myself only as the Lord's servant, doing His will, and forget myself as myself, timid and startled by the gaze of many eyes. But I cannot do this, Robert, so I've put on black, that I shan't be much noticed as I stand with father and the others, who'll all be in black too.'

As they approached the simple, gray little chapel which