It need hardly be said that Mrs Bradly was more than satisfied with this solution of the puzzle. CHAPTER FIVE. A DISCUSSION. If there was one man more than another whom William Foster the sceptic both disliked and feared, it was "Tommy Tracks." Not that he would have owned to such a fear for a moment. He tried to persuade himself that he despised him; but there was that about Bradly's life and character which he was forced to respect, and before which his spirit within him bowed and quailed spite of himself. Thomas Bradly, though possessed of but a very moderate share of book- learning, was pretty well aware that it required no very deep line to reach the bottom of Foster's acquirements; and so, while he preferred, as a rule, to avoid any open controversy with William, or any of his party, he never shrunk from a fair stand-up contest when he believed that his Master's honour and the truth required it. One evening, a few days after the mysterious appearance of the little Bible in his own house, Foster, as he was coming home from his work, encountered Bradly at the open door of the blacksmith's forge with a bundle of tracts in his hand. "Still trying to do us poor sinners good, I see," sneered Foster. "Yes, if you'll let me," said the other, offering a tract. "None of your nonsensical rubbish for me," was the angry reply, as the speaker turned away. "I never carries either nonsense or rubbish," rejoined Thomas. "My tracts are all of 'em good solid sense; they are taken out of God's holy Word, or are agreeable to the same." "What! The Bible? What sensible man now believes in that Bible of yours? It's a failure; it has been demonstrated to be a failure. All enlightened men, even many among your own Christians, are giving it up as a failure now,"--saying which in a tone of triumph, as he looked round on a little knot of working-men who were gathering about the smithy door, he seated himself on an upturned cart which was waiting to be repaired, and looked at his opponent for a reply.