"But to be satisfied with His ordering--to receive it as the best thing, dearer unto thee than thine own will and way; as the one thing which thou wouldst have done, at the cost, if need be, of all other:--ah, Blanche, 'tis no light nor easy thing, this! And unto this God led her of whom I have been telling thee. He led her, till she could look up to Him, and say, with a true, honest heart--`Father, lead where Thou wilt. If in the dark, well: so Thou hold me, I am content I am Thine, body, and soul, and spirit: it shall be well and blessed for me, if but Thy will be done.' And then, Blanche,--when she could look up and say this in sincerity--then He laid down His rod, and gave all back into her bosom." Blanche drew a deep sigh,--partly of relief, but not altogether. "You knew this maiden your own self, Mrs Tremayne?" "Wouldst thou fain know whom the maid were, Blanche? Her name was-- Thekla Rose." "Mistress Tremayne!--yourself?" "Myself, dear heart. And I should not have gone back over this story now, but that I thought it might serve thee to hear it. I love not to look back to that time, though it were to mine own good. 'Tis like an ill wound which is healed, and thou hast no further suffering thereof: yet the scar is there for evermore. And yet, dear Blanche, if it were given me to choose, now, whether I would have that dark and weary time part of my life, or no--reckoning what I should have lost without it--I would say once again, Ay. They that know the sweetness of close walking with God will rather grope, step by step, at His side through the darkness, than walk smoothly in the full glare of the sun without Him: and very street was my walk, when I had won back the felt holding of His hand." "But is He not with them in the sunlight?" asked Blanche shyly. "He is alway with them, dear heart: but we see his light clearest when other lights are out. And we be so prone to walk further off in the daylight!--we see so many things beside Him. We would fain be running off after birds and butterflies; fain be filling our hands with bright flowers by the way: and we picture not rightly to ourselves that these things are but to cheer us on as we step bravely forward, for there will be flowers enough when we reach Home." Blanche looked earnestly into the red embers, and was silent. "Seest thou now, Blanche, what I meant in saying, I would not have thee miss the gold?" "I reckon you mean that God hath somewhat to give, better than what He taketh away."