"Mother wishes I would be a Christian," she said low and slowly. "And I wish I could, to please her; but I do not want to. Can I help my will? and I am not willing." There was a mixture of defiance and desire in this speech which instantly roused the somewhat careless attention of the young man beside her. Anything that touched the decision of any mortal in the great question of everlasting life, awoke his sympathies always to fullest exercise. It was not his way, however, to shew what he felt; and he answered her with the same deliberate calm as hitherto. Nobody would have guessed the quickened pulses with which he spoke. "Why do you not want to be a Christian, Rotha?" "I do not know," she answered slowly. "I suppose, I want to be free." "Go on a little bit, and tell me what you mean by being 'free.'" "Why--I mean, I suppose,--I _know_ I mean, that I want to do what I like." "You are taking the wrong way for that." "Why, I could not do what I liked if I was a Christian, Mr. Digby?" "A Christian, on the contrary, is the only person in this world, so far as I know, who can do what he likes." "Why, do you?" said Rotha, looking at him. "Yes," said he smiling. "Always." "But I thought--" "You thought a Christian was a sort of a slave." "Yes. Or a servant. A servant he is; and a servant is not free. He has laws to mind." "And you think, by refusing the service you get rid of the laws? That's a mistake. The laws are over you and binding on you, just the same, whether you accept them or not; and you have got to meet the consequences of not obeying them. Did you never think of that?" "But it is different if I _promised_ to obey them," said Rotha. "How different?" "If I promised, I must do it." "If you do not promise you must take the consequences of not doing it. You cannot get from under the law." "But how can you do whatever you like, Mr. Digby?" "There comes in your other mistake," said he. "I can, because I am free. It is you who are the slave." "I? How, Mr. Digby?" "You said just now, you wished you could be a Christian, but you could not. Are you free to do what you wish?" "But can I help my will?" The gentleman took out of his pocket a slim little New Testament which always went about with him, and put it into Rotha's hands open at a certain place, bidding her read. "'Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.'" Rotha stopped and looked up at her companion. "Go on," he bade her; and she read further. "'They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?