"I have none, my dear. I don't believe in its existence!" "But you must, Aunt Maria. You must. It was the merest luck my seeing that hole, and thinking of feeling inside, but it seems as if it were going to have such big consequences. Just in a moment it has brought me more influential friends than most girls meet with in the whole of their lives. They are all grateful to me; they feel that I have helped them; they want to help me in return; but after all there's no credit to me, it was all done without one scrap of thought or trouble. It seems hard to think that many people work and slave for years, and fail to gain a quarter as much as I have done by just pure luck!" "Don't be so sweeping in your assertions, child. These are early days yet to talk about results. When you come to my age, my dear, you will look back and realise that those who go through life in the right spirit are never left to the mercy of what you call `luck.' `Submit thy way unto the Lord, and _He_ will direct thy path.' I am an old woman, Darsie, but I can say from my heart that goodness and mercy have followed me all the days of my life." Darsie sat gazing thoughtfully into her aunt's face. Within the last weeks a degree of intimacy had developed between the old woman and the girl, which made it possible for the latter to speak out more openly than she would have believed possible a short month before. "Aunt Maria," she said slowly, "I wish you would explain... You talk of goodness and mercy, but--don't be shocked!--it doesn't seem to me that you have so _much_ to be thankful for! ... You are rich, of course, but that doesn't count for much by itself, and your life must have been hard... You are delicate, and your husband died, and you have no children--no one to live with you in this big house. Now when you _are_ old you are so lonely that you are glad to have me--a girl like me--for a few weeks' visit! When I go away you will be lonely again..." A tremor passed over Lady Hayes's face; the thin fingers crossed and uncrossed themselves on her lap, but she smiled, a brave and patient smile. "You are right, Darsie. I have had bitter trials, nevertheless I have gained the greatest treasure that is given to any one on this earth." "What is that, Aunt Maria?" "Peace in my soul, child--`the peace of God, which passeth understanding,'" said the old woman solemnly. There was silence in the room. Darsie bent her head, awed and touched by the sound of those wondrous words. A month ago, at home with her brothers and sisters, she would have scoffed at the idea of peace in connection with Great-aunt Maria, but a closer intimacy had altered her opinion. About the trifling affairs of every day Aunt Maria continued to fuss. No one could deny for a moment that she fussed; but the big demands of life found her calm, serene, prepared. On the surface the waters might dash occasionally into foam, but the deep, strong current bore steadily towards the sea!