"Nay, that she is not, I'll warrant me," said the doctor. "I have never heard a word of it, but I dare swear that she has never lifted a finger to win him, and that she will never marry him, at any rate until she has received full permission from your own lips. She is made of far finer material than that."

"I'm glad to hear you say so," replied Squire Fuller. "I wish I could believe it, for that permission she will never get between now and the day of judgment; but I confess that I am very sceptical as to her adoption of any such policy. If my Phil were to be such a double-dyed fool as to ask her, I've no doubt she would jump at him like a hen at a gooseberry, and rejoice that she had played her cards so well. A squire's son is not to be hooked by a blacksmith's daughter every day."

The plain-spoken doctor was inclined to get angry, as he listened to these reflections on the high-toned character of his young friend and favourite, but commanding his temper, he simply responded,--

"Well, I'm no advocate for young people marrying out of their rank and station, and I'm not sure, even if Lucy returned his affection, that the alliance would end happily, all things considered. At the same time, I say again, and I never spoke more soberly in my life, the youth that marries Lucy Blyth will get a wife that may compete in every way with the n.o.blest lady in the land."

So saying he took his departure, and the hoofs of his high-bred horse were soon heard ringing over the Kesterton road.

CHAPTER XVIII.

PHILIP FULLER MAKES A DISCOVERY.

"Thus far did I come laden with my sin, Nor could aught ease the grief that I was in, Till I came hither. What a place is this!

Must here be the beginning of my bliss?

Must here the burden fall from off my back?

Must here the strings that bound it to me crack?

Blest Cross! Blest Sepulchre! Blest rather be The Man that there was put to shame for me."

_John Bunyan._

"Good morning, Adam Olliver. What a man you are for cutting and slashing! I never see you but you are wielding either axe or knife!

What a destructive character you must be!"

"Good mornin', Maister Philip," said the hedger, with a smile of satisfaction, for he had a great regard for the frank young gentleman who had so kindly received his words of pleading by the gate which led to Marlpit Wood. "Ah's nut nearly as destructive as ah leeaks te be.

Ah've been choppin' an' slashin' Farmer Houston's hedges for nearly fifteen years; an' ah warrant 'at they've neean on 'im ivver been sae thrivin' an' sae shaply as they are te-day."

"Well, that looks odd," said Philip. "I should have thought that they would grow bigger and stronger, thicker and higher, if they were left alone."

"Hey," said Adam, with the usual twinkle in his eye, "sae meeast on us think, sor. We wad like te be let alooane an' just hev wer aun way; grow as wa' like an' deea as wa' like, an' we fancy 'at we sud gan higher an' grow bigger, an' increease i' strength, bud it's a grand mistak', you may depend on 't. If theease hedges warn't lopped and trimmed, an' ivvery noo an' then chopp'd doon an' leeaced in, they wad gan sprawlin' ower t' rooad o' yah side, an' ower t' clooase on t'

uther, an' grow thick i' yah spot an' thin iv anuther, an' grow up two or three yards high inte t' bargan. A rood o' good land wad be weeasted; t' sheep wad gan throo t' gaps, an't' sun wad be kept off t'

corn, or t' tonnops, or t' rape, or whativver else was growin', an'

they wad deea a parlous lot o' mischief. Beeath t' axe an' t'

slashin'-knife is good for _them_, an' they're varry good for _uz_."

"How do you make that out?" said Philip, amused and interested. He had a glimpse of the old man's philosophy, and for reasons of his own, was anxious to get him into a free and talking vein.

"Why, you see," said Adam, "human natur's a poor, prood, wild thing, an' when it's left tiv itself, it nat'rally gans in for hevin' its aun way, an' gets wa.r.s.e an' wa.r.s.e. Munny an' pleasure an' honour an'

pooer; onything at'll minister te wer pleasure an' profit, is seeazed an' meead t' meeast on, an' sae we sud gan te ruin an' the devil like a beggar o' horseback. But t' knife o' sickness, an' disappointment, losses an' trubbles of all sooarts, is used biv a gracious G.o.d te bring uz te wer senses, an' mak' us think' aboot summut better. Job tells us that the Lord sticks His knife intiv uz, an' mak's uz suffer an' cry upo' wer bed i' strang payne; an' he says, 'Theease things worketh G.o.d of 'entahmes wi' man, that he may bring his sowl up oot o'

t' pit, an' leeten him wi' t' leet o' the livin'.' T' slashin' 'at Joseph gat i' t' pit an' i' t' prison trimm'd him for t' second chariot i' Egypt, an' meead 'im t' greeatest man i' t' c.u.n.try. Maister Philip, leeak at that hedge," pointing to a long low quickset hedge that divided one field from another. "That hedge is cut loa, an'

slash'd thin, an' t' tall tooerin' branches was chopt hoaf through an'

bent doon inte t' thorn, an' if ivvery hoss i' Farmer Houston's steeable was te run ageean it, it wad tonn 'em back; for it's as teeaf as leather, an' as cloase as a sheet ov iron; an' it's all because it's been kept doon an' meead te bleed under t' slashin'-knife."

"Yes, you're right, Adam," said the young squire, thoughtfully, as his mind reverted to his own bitter disappointment in regard to his misplaced and baffled love, "only it's hard to understand and very difficult to bear."

Old Adam, who shrewdly guessed the current of his thoughts, and greatly sympathised with the youth in whose _bona-fides_ he had perfect faith, replied, "Nay, deean't trubble te ontherstand it.

G.o.d'll explayn it when it's right for uz te knoa; but as for bidin'

it, He says 'Mah grace is sufficient fo' thah.' Prayer an' faith can mak' uz bide whativver cross we may hae te carry; an', Maister Philip," said he, tenderly, "He'll help yo' te bide yours, if you'll n.o.bbut tak' it te t' Cross an' ax Him 'at said, 'c.u.m te me an' ah'll gie yo' rist.'"

"Adam Olliver!" said the young man, "I want that rest with all my heart and soul, but I cannot find it; the last time I saw you, you quoted the words of St. John, 'He that is born of G.o.d sinneth not.'

Tell me, Adam, as you would tell your son, what is it to be born of G.o.d?"

Struck by the eager tones of the speaker, Adam dropped his knife, looked into the eyes of Philip, which flashed with a very fever of desire, and saw therein the honest, penitent seeker after G.o.d.

Afterwards, when Adam was relating the circ.u.mstances to his friend and neighbour, Nathan Blyth, he said,--

"Ah tell yo', Nathan, ah was sae tee'an aback, yo' mud ha' knocked ma'

doon wiv a feather! Ah felt just like Nehemiah, when he was standin'

afoore t' king wiv 'is 'eart sad an' 'is feeace white wi' trubble for t' seeak o' Jerusalem, an' t' king ax'd him what was amiss wiv him; an' like him, ah 'lifted me' heart te the G.o.d ov heaven.'"

"Born of G.o.d," said Adam, in reply to his anxious questioner, "Why, it's te be a new creeatur i' Christ Jesus. T' Holy Sperrit o' G.o.d c.u.ms inte t' heart streight doon frev heaven, tak's all wer sins away, an'

tells us 'at for Christ's seeak they're all pardon'd, an' fills us wi'

joy an' peeace thro' beleeavin'."

"And do you feel that you are born again, Adam? Does the Holy Spirit tell you so? Are you _sure_ that your sins are all forgiven?"

"Sure!" said Adam, with a smile which was simply beautiful in its joyous complacency, "ah's as sartan on it as ah's a livin' man. Ah've knoan it ivvery day o' my life for mair then fotty years. 'The Sperrit o' G.o.d beears witness wi' mah sperrit 'at ah's born o' G.o.d.'" His eyes filled with tears of gladness, as he said, "Glory be te G.o.d. I ha'nt a doot nor a ghost o' yan, that me' neeam is written i' heaven, Christ is mi' Saviour, an' ah knoa 'at when this 'athly hoose o' me'

tabernacle is dissolved, an' it's gettin' varry shakky, ah've a hoose abuv, a buildin' nut meead bi' hands, etarnal i' the heavens!"

Philip heaved a sigh which came from the deepest recesses of his heart. "I would give my life," said he, "to be able to say that. Adam Olliver, show me the way!"

"G.o.d bless the lad," said the old Christian with deep feeling, and such a prayer from his lips was indeed a benediction. "You feel yourself to be a poor helpless sinner afoore G.o.d?"

"My sense of ingrat.i.tude and rebellion is greater than I can bear,"

was the earnest response.

"An' wi' all your 'eart you're willin' te give up ivverything for Christ?"

"I tell you, I would give my life to feel in my heart that He is my Saviour."

"Then lissen," said Adam, pulling out from his breast-pocket a well-worn New Testament, the precious companion of his solitary labours. Turning to a particular verse, "This," said he, "is the Wod o' G.o.d, the testiment ov Jesus Christ You beleeave it, deean't yo'?"

"Yes," said the eager youth, "every word of it."

"Then remember, what ah's gannin' te read, is what G.o.d says te you.

You weean't doot Him, will yo'?" His large horn-framed spectacles were drawn from their wooden sheath; having adjusted them to a.s.sist his failing vision, he held the little volume with a loving reverence, and took off his hat as if G.o.d Himself was about to speak. "Lissen!" said he, and then he read slowly and deliberately, "He bare our sins in his own body on the tree." Turning over the pages, he read, "'Whosoever believeth on him the same shall be saved.' You don't doot it, de yo'?"

"No," said Philip, eagerly, "go on!"

"You're boddened wi' your sins? Lissen! 'He bare 'em _Hisself_! Philip Fuller, if He hez borne your sins, why sud you beear t' bodden as weel? Whosoiver beleeaveth sal be saved. There it is. Cast 'em on 'im!

Leeave 'em tiv Him, for it's _true_!"

Even while the old man spoke, the scales began to fall. Philip Fuller saw men as trees walking. Silent and with parted lips, he looked upon his humble teacher; his soul was listening to the words of truth. Then he felt a wish to be alone.

"Thank you, Adam Olliver. I'll come and see you again." Then, turning his horse towards Waverdale Park, he began to turn over in his mind the words he had just heard--"The word of the Lord by the mouth of his servant," Adam Olliver.