“Robin dug deep,” observed Mr. Hartley after a pause; “so he came to the root of the mischief.” “I am sure that you are thinking of something besides white ants,” said Alicia. “Perhaps you would suggest that if we dig down deep enough in our consciences we may find out the source of our so-called little sins.” “Can you not divine them?” said Mr. Hartley. “There are many; but to preserve our analogy, let us unearth but three—selfishness, self-righteousness, and self-will. I have traced most of my own errors to one or other of these.” The conversation was not continued. Alicia took away the unsightly creatures, and her father resumed his translation. Mr. Hartley paused, however, ere he had written half a page. “Was I too hard on the dear child?” he said to himself. Alicia flung away the queen-ants; she did not care to preserve them. She felt humbled and a little distressed by the conversation which had just taken place. It was a new thing for her to have her faults so closely dealt with, for her good-natured, easy-going father had never been aware that she had any; and Harold, though less blind, was just as indulgent. The brief talk with an experienced Christian had opened Alicia’s eyes to the fact that she had a great deal to learn, and a good deal of discipline perhaps to undergo, before her self-will should be dug up, and she should become worthy to be called a missionary’s wife. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CHAPTER VIII FIRST VISIT TO A ZENANA. ROBIN was very busy during the rest of the week, but the nature of his occupation was kept a profound secret, into which no one was allowed to enter but Harold. On the Monday morning, when the family was partaking of their warm daliya and milk, Harold turned to his wife and said, “You have often told me, my love, that you would like to take a part in mission work here.” “I should like it of all things!” exclaimed Alicia. “You know that I have seen something of the kind of thing already, as I have been with mission ladies into four or five zenanas, and I learned a lesson for future use. You know, darling, that I can read the Bible fairly in Roman Urdu; I have also learned some texts, and I have a famous book of pictures. I have practised my stock of bhajans [native songs] till I begin really to like them, though I thought them so frightful at first.” “How many bhajans can you manage?” asked Robin. “Why, to tell the truth, only two; but many musical-boxes play no greater number of tunes, and, like a musicalbox, I’ll go over and over again. I think that I am ready, at least to make a beginning;” and Alicia glanced with a shy smile at her husband.