“Our Father who is in Heaven, will protect him,” said Christian, solemnly. “I have heard of a minister in London, who never for years ever thinks of seeing after his own people in their own homes; it is too much labour, forsooth, he is only their preacher, not their pastor; and though he sends--Reverend Doctor that he is--his deacons and such like to visit; it’s seldom that himself ever goes to a poor sick bed, and as to his trying to reclaim the vicious, there is not on his individual part the least attempt or effort. Now, Mary, would you have Halbert such a man as that?” “I would rather see him lying under the direfullest contagion. I would rather that he was stricken by the Lord’s own hand, than that it should be said of Halbert Melville that he flinched in the least degree from the work which the Lord has laid upon him,” returned Mary, proudly elevating her matronly form to its full height, with a dignity that gladdened Christian’s heart. “Yet that man in London will be well spoken of,” said Mary Hamilton, “and our Halbert unknown. No matter: the time will come when Halbert will be acknowledged openly; and now, Christian, I feel assured and pleased that Charles went out with Halbert.” “And you may, when they went on such an errand,” said Christian; “but”--and she continued briskly, as if to dispel the little gloom which had fallen upon them, and resuming the conversation, which had been broken off on the departure of the gentlemen--“but Robert writes me, that he is very comfortably settled, and likes his new residence well.” “I am sorry,” said Mrs. Melville, after a pause, during which her agitation had gradually subsided, “I am sorry that I saw so little of Robert. He and I are almost strangers to each other.” “Not strangers, Mary, while so nearly connected,” said Christian, kindly. “Moreover, Robert gives me several very intelligible hints about a young lady in your uncle’s family to whom you introduced him.” “Indeed!” exclaimed Mrs. Melville, “no doubt he means my cousin Helen. Oh, I am very glad of that. Your brothers are too good, Christian, to be thrown away on cold-hearted, calculating people, who only look at money and money’s worth----” and as the words fell from her lips, she stopped and blushed, and hesitated, for Mrs. James flashed upon her mind, and the comparison seemed invidious. “You are quite right, Mary,” said the other Mary, smiling; “and if Robert be as fortunate as Halbert has been, we shall be a happy family indeed.”