"My mistress," he said earnestly, "I took not at the first your kindly meaning rightly, but I count I so do now. If so be, I thank you more than words may tell. But I must abide at my post. My sister Alice is not yet found; and should I be taken from the child"--his voice trembled for a moment--"God must have care of her." "I will have a care of her, in that case," said Mrs Collenwood. "Master Hall, we may speak freely. What you are, I am. Now I have put my life in your hands, and I trust you to be true." "I will guard it as mine own," answered Roger warmly, "and I give you the most heartiest thanks, my mistress, that a man wot how to utter. But if I may ask you, be any more in danger? My brother, and Master White, and Mistress Final--" "All be in danger," was the startling answer, "that hold with us. But the one only name that I have heard beside yours, is mine hostess of the White Hart." "Mistress Final? I reckoned so much. I will have a word with her, if it may be, on my way back to Cranbrook, and bid her send word to the others. Alack the day! how long is Satan to reign, and wrong to triumph?" "So long as God will," replied Mrs Collenwood. "So long as His Church hath need of the cleansing physic shall it be ministered to her. When she is made clean, and white, and tried, then--no longer. God grant, friend, that you and I may not fail Him when the summons cometh for us--`The Master calleth for thee.'" "Amen!" said Roger Hall. In the parlour Pandora said to Christabel-- "Dear child, thou mayest speak freely to me of thine Aunt Alice. I know all touching her." "O Mistress Pandora! wot you where she is?" Pandora was grieved to find from Christie's eager exclamation that she had, however innocently, roused the child's hopes only to be disappointed. "No, my dear heart," she said tenderly, "not that, truly. I did but signify that I knew the manner of her entreatment, and where she hath been lodged." "Father can't find her anywhere," said Christie sorrowfully. "He went about two whole days, but he could hear nothing of her at all." "Our Father in Heaven knows where she is, my child. He shall not lose sight of her, be well assured." "But she can't see Him!" urged Christie tearfully. "Truth, sweeting. Therefore rather `blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.' Consider how hard the blessed Paul was tried, and how hard he must have found faith, and yet how fully he did rely on our Saviour Christ." "I don't think Saint Paul was ever tried this way," said Christie in her simplicity. "And his sister's son knew where he was, and could get at him. They weren't as ill off as me and Father." "Poor old Jacob did not know where Joseph was," suggested Pandora.