XXX. RESURGAM 356 XXXI. "I CAN STAND ALONE" 367 XXXII. THE BLOW FALLS 371 XXXIII. REQUIESCAT IN PACE 376 _MYRRH_ XXXIV. IN THE HOSPITAL OF THE HOLY STAR 385 XXXV. THE LETTER COMES 398 XXXVI. DIANA LEARNS THE TRUTH 404 XXXVII. "GOOD-NIGHT, DAVID" 413 XXXVIII. THE BUNDLE OF MYRRH 420 XXXIX. HOME, BY ANOTHER WAY 424 GOLD CHAPTER I THE STILL WATERS OF BRAMBLEDENE David Rivers closed his Bible suddenly, slipped it into the inner pocket of his coat, and, leaning back in his armchair, relaxed the tension at which he had been sitting while he mentally put his thoughts into terse and forcible phraseology. His evening sermon was ready. The final sentence had silently thrilled into the quiet study, in the very words in which it would presently resound through the half-empty little village church; and David felt as did the young David of old, when he had paused at the brook and chosen five smooth stones for his sling, on his way to meet the mighty champion of the Philistines. David now felt ready to go forward and fight the Goliath of apathy and inattention; the life-long habit of not listening to the voice of the preacher, or giving any heed to the message he brought. The congregation, in this little Hampshire village church where, during the last five weeks, David had acted as locum-tenens, consisted entirely of well-to-do farmers and their families; of labourers, who lounged into church from force of habit, or because, since the public-houses had been closed by law during the hours of divine service, it was the only warmed and lighted place to be found on a Sunday evening; of a few devout old men and women, to whom weekly church-going, while on earth, appeared the only possible preparation for an eternity of Sabbaths in the world to come; and of a fair sprinkling of village lads and lassies, who took more interest in themselves and in each other than in the divine worship in which they were supposed to be taking part.