"'One of the first properties of the bosom sin with which it behoves us to be well acquainted, as our first step in the management of our spiritual warfare, is its property of concealing itself. In consequence of this property, it often happens that a man, when touched in his weak point, answers that whatever other faults he may have, this fault, at least, is no part of his character.'" The captain read the quotation so emphatically that Vibert again threw down his paper, and listened whilst Arrows thus went on:-- "'This circumstance, then, may furnish us with a clue to the discovery: of whatever fault you feel that, if accused of it, you would be stung and nettled by the apparent injustice of the charge, suspect yourself of that fault, in that quarter very probably lies the black spot of the bosom sin. If the skin is in any part sensitive to pressure, there is probably mischief below the surface.'" "I doubt that the author is right," observed Bruce. "Besetting sins cannot hide themselves thus from those who honestly search their own hearts." "Perhaps some search all but the haunted chamber," suggested Vibert. Captain Arrows smiled assent to the observation. "By way of throwing light on the question," said he, "suppose that each of you were to set down in writing what you suppose to be your besetting sin; and that I--who have watched your characters from your childhood--should also put down on paper what I believe to be the bosom temptation of each. Is it likely that your papers and mine would agree; that the same 'black spot' would be touched by your hands and mine; that we should point out the same identical fault as the one which most easily and frequently besets the soul of each of you three?" "It would be curious to compare the two papers," cried Vibert. "I wish, captain, that you really would write down what you think of us all. It would be like consulting a phrenological professor, without the need of having a stranger's fingers reading off our characters from the bumps on our heads." "I am not speaking of the whole character, but of the one sin that most easily besets," said the captain. "Would a close observer's view of its nature agree with that held by the person within whose heart it might lurk?" "Perhaps not," said Bruce, after a pause for reflection. "But the person beset by the sin would know more about its existence than the most acute observer, who could judge but by outward signs."