“Were you disappointed to learn that no reference had been made to the very matter that brought me back to you?” asked Wesley. Jake did not answer immediately. It was apparent that he had his own views on this matter, and that he had been expounding them to his companion on their walk from the farm to the coast. “Mr. Wesley, 'tis plain to me that the skill at divination shown by that man comes from below, not from above,” he said. “And do you suppose that our enemies will take back any of the foul things they have said about our allying ourselves with sorcery when they hear of the wonderful things that are now happening?” “Brother,” said Wesley, “if the principles of the Truth which we have been teaching are indeed true, they will survive such calumnies--nay, they will take the firmer hold upon all who have heard us by reason of such calumnies. The gold of the Truth has oft been tried by the fire of calumny and proved itself to be precious.” “You saw the man play-acting in his sackcloth?” said the carrier. Wesley shook his head sadly. “'Twas deplorable!” he said. “And yet I dare not even now speak against him--no, not a word.” “What, sir, you do not believe that he is a sorcerer and a soothsayer?” cried Jake. “I have not satisfied myself that he is either,” replied Wesley. “More than once since I saw how much evil was following on his predictions I have felt sure that he was an agent of our Arch-enemy, but later I have not felt quite so confident in my judgment. No, friend, I shall not judge him. He is in the hands of God.” “And I agree with Mr. Wesley,” said the miller. Jake Pullsford, with his hands clasped behind him and his head craned forward, was about to speak, when Hal Holmes entered the room. He was excited. “Have you seen it?” he cried before he had greeted anyone. “Have you seen it--the vision of his trance at the Mill--the tide sliding away as it hath never done before within the memory of man?--the discovery of the bare hollow basin of the sea? Have you been within sight of the Dog's Teeth?” “We--Mr. Hartwell and I--have not been out of doors for six hours; but we are going now,” said Wesley. “We have seen some of the wonders that have happened; we would fain witness all.” “Oh, sir,” said the blacksmith, “this one is the first that I have seen, and seeing it has made me think that we were too hasty in condemning poor Dick Pritchard. We need your guidance, sir. Do you hold that a man may have the gift of prophecy in this Dispensation, without being a sorcerer, and the agent of the Fiend?” “Alas! 'tis not I that can be your guide in such a matter,” said Wesley. “You must join with me in seeking for guidance from above. Let us go forth and see what is this new wonder.”