However, Rotha went on with her study. Two passages struck her particularly, in Ephesians and Colossians. The first--"Be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." The other to the same purport, in Col. iii. 13. But he has not forgiven me, cried Rotha in her heart, while the tears poured; he will not forgive me, unless I forgive her.--"But he is ready to forgive you," the very words before her proclaimed. It was a dead lock, nevertheless; and when Mrs. Mowbray came home from church she found, to her surprise, Rotha still bending over her Bible with her tears dripping on the floor. Mrs. Mowbray took off her hat and cloak before she said a word. Then coming to Rotha's side on the couch, she put one arm round her. "My dear," she said gently, "what is the matter?" The tone and the touch were so sympathizing, so tender, that Rotha answered by an affectionate, clinging gesture, taking care at the same time that none of her tears fell on Mrs. Mowbray's rich silk. For a little space she made no other answer. When she spoke, it was with a passionate accent. "Madame, if I am ever to be a Christian, I must be made all over new!" "That is nothing uncommon," the lady replied. "It is every one's case. So the Bible says; 'If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature.'" "But how am I to get made over all new?" Rotha cried. "That is the Holy Spirit's work. 'Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.'" "Then must I ask for him?" "Certainly." "But if I do not forgive aunt Serena, it is no use for me to pray?" "Nay, Rotha, if that were true we should be in a bad case indeed. If you read the fifteenth chapter of Luke, you will find that when the prodigal son was returning, his father saw him _while he was yet a great way off;_ and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. If you are truly setting yourself to seek God, you will find him; and if you are in earnest in wishing to do his will, he will enable you to do it. You must always ask, my dear. The Bible says, 'the Lord over all is rich unto all--' not, that are perfect, but--'that call upon him.'" "But it says, 'if ye do not forgive, neither will your heavenly Father forgive you.'" "True; but he will give you that new nature you say you must have; and then forgiving will be easy." Rotha looked up, partly comforted. And from that time she prayed for a new nature.