"It is wretchedly dull at home now you're away, Bess. I do wish you would come back!"

"Not if I know it!" answered that young lady. "I know when I'm well off.

Besides, I thought you would get on like the steam out of Watts' kettle with me away!"

"Yes, that's just it, I'm always in hot water," he replied in a doleful voice.

"Well, what if you are? Isn't hot water better than black beetles? Hot water is a splendid thing to drink, but it would give you the creeps to have to eat beetles! Ugh!"

"What a stupid you are, Bess, and just when a fellow wants to be serious!"

Bessie had it on her lips to say, "Wonders will never cease!"--she had already raised her hands in a tragic style, but something in Phill's manner checked her. "What was it you wanted to say, Phill?" she asked quite kindly, suddenly dropping her hands.

The lad looked up at her, struck with the change in her voice, and was silent for a moment or so. "Tell me, Bessie, what it is that makes Mrs.

Waring so different to mother?" The sentence was quite shot out.

"How did you find out there was any difference?"

"Find out? It don't take long to find that out! Mrs. Waring don't worry and fl.u.s.ter like mother does, and yet I should think she's got more to worry about."

"You're right there."

"Well, what is the difference? I can hear you all laughing like anything sometimes."

Bessie knew well enough what the difference was, but did not like to put it into words.

"I wish I could come into Mrs. Waring's of an evening!" went on Phill.

"Well, do," a.s.sented Bessie eagerly, "and then you can find out for yourself what the difference is. I am sure Mrs. Waring will be pleased for you to come. I'll ask her." Bessie was quite relieved by this way of avoiding the explanation of "the difference."

Thus it came to pa.s.s that another member was added to "Love's Hospital."

Many a bright, merry hour did the lad spend there.

"Have you found it out?" Bessie ventured to ask him after a while.

"Of course I have, and you are pretty dense if _you_ haven't! Why, a mole could see it!"

"Well, what is it?"

"I believe you know as well as I do."

"Of course I do; I haven't lived with her all these months for nothing."

"Then you tell me," said Phill.

"It is that G.o.d counts for something in Mrs. Waring's life," was the girl's straight answer.

"H'm," said Phill, "I suppose that's it."

"Yes," said Bessie, now quite brave once she had started, "and what she can't do, she leaves to Him, and knows it will be all right. You see, when once you get to that point, there's no need of fl.u.s.ters and worries."

The boy did not answer, but turned thoughtfully away.

Mrs. Marchant was not able to forget Phill's words; even when her resentment had worn off a little, they were there with haunting power.

"I'd give a good deal to know what it is she has that I haven't!" she kept saying to herself, "for, oh dear, life at times seems unbearable!

It can't be her religion exactly, for lots of religious people are just as worried as I am. What can it be, I wonder! I have a good mind to ask her straight out the next time I see her."

She had not long to wait, for Phebe was on the look-out for another opportunity of getting close to her neighbour, and Mrs. Marchant, true to her resolution, put the question to her.

Phebe's heart bounded with joy. How splendidly her way was being opened up! when,--was it of the Evil One, or was it of G.o.d?--that just at that moment Mr. Marchant should come into the room!

There was no help for it but to again beat a retreat, but before doing so, she said: "Do come in some afternoon and have a cup of tea with me.

You have never been in yet."

"No, I have no time for visiting," was the abrupt answer. But when she got to the door with her visitor, she added, "Yes, I'll come."

When Phebe reported progress to Nanna, that dear old body exclaimed: "Well, that's something to be thankful for! When a woman's got out of conceit with herself, and has an idea she'd like to be different to what she is, she is certainly on her way to Joseph's garden!"

"Joseph's garden!" exclaimed Phebe; "you funny, old dear, what is that?"

"Why, don't you know? Mary while at Bethany only listened to the Lord's message, and gave Him something; but when she got to Joseph's garden, she said, 'Master!'

"But she had to go by the cross to get there!"

CHAPTER XIX

THE NEW CLUB-ROOM

Autumn was drawing near, and still the pointing Finger had not been recognised. A few of the meetings had been held in the shed, and, although most of the men had been loyal to their promise, they had been anything but comfortable times.

Nanna thought the matter had not been made a subject of united prayer enough. So at morning prayer, which Phebe had lately established, it was mentioned, and she also spoke of it to some of the men, asking them to pray about it too.

Hugh Black had attended most of the meetings, taking up the same place behind the shed. The men had got to know of this, but said nothing, and once Phebe had caught sight of him herself. His presence brought back a little of the old nervousness, but when she told Nanna, that old Amazon said: "Toots, child, what difference should an extra quality in cloth make to you! I should say he needs your help as much as anybody."

To Phebe's great astonishment he walked into the shop one morning.

"Can I have a word with you alone, Mrs. Waring?" he asked.

"Most certainly," and the two entered the parlour.

Phebe's heart was going pit-a-pat at a very unusual rate. Could it be he had come to put any difficulties in the way--to make any complaints! How is it in any moment of excitement we are sure to jump to the most doleful conjectures?

"Pray be seated, Mr. Black," she managed to say, in a tolerably steady voice.

"Thank you. I have often wanted to come to see you, Mrs. Waring, and this morning I thought I'd just make a rush for it. Perhaps you wouldn't believe it, but I felt quite nervous at the thought of coming."