Froken Helga's implicit faith in the rigid character of Kirstin was shaken. Rasmussen's funeral took place shortly after, and on the Sunday the Pastor referred to Hardy's conduct. "It may hurt the sensibility of the Englishman who is with us, that I should refer to him thus publicly; but it is my duty, while the occurrence of Rasmussen's death has the force of its being recent to point out, not that it was his simple duty to do what he did, but the way and manner that duty was done showed a Christian charity that no one of us could do more than imitate." "I question whether you are right, to praise the conduct of an individual from the pulpit, Herr Pastor," said Hardy. "My duty," said the Pastor, gravely, "is to preach the parable of the Good Samaritan, and the recent occurrence will interest many who would not be interested otherwise." "My father has done what is right," said his daughter, with warmth. "I should have done the same." CHAPTER VIII. "Oh, how happy here's our leisure! Oh, how innocent our pleasure!" _The Complete Angler._ John Hardy received a letter from his mother, dated from Hardy Place. "My dearest John, "Your weekly letters have become shorter, and I have read between the lines that you are keeping back something from your mother; but this doubt has been made a certainty from a letter of Robert Garth's to his friends here. He writes, so I hear, that the 'governor' is sweet on a parson's daughter in Denmark. Now, I know, dearest John, that you will always be the true gentleman your father was; but this has distressed me, because you say yourself nothing. Do come home to me. I miss the sound of your footstep, the manly voice that reminds me of your father, and, above all, your kindly manner to your mother. Write at once, as my anxiety is more than I can bear." There was more in the letter, breathing the same deep affectionate solicitude a mother alone feels. John Hardy wrote at once. "My dearest Mother,