y, sinking slowly away out of his sight, his eyes filled with
the light of a great and zealous purpose.

They left the water side in the afternoon, and walked towards a
certain village, and Clarke, turning towards his companion, said:

"I have promised to preach this evening in a certain house yonder.
I trow there will be no peril to me or to those who hear me. But of
that no man can be certain. What wilt thou do? Come with me, or
walk onwards and let us meet on the morrow?"

Dalaber hesitated no single moment; Clarke's preaching was one of
his keenest delights. And upon this evening he was moved beyond his
wont as the young master spoke from his heart to his listeners, not
striving to arouse their passions against tyranny or bigotry, but
rather seeking to urge them to patience, to that brotherly love
which endures all things and hopes all things, and turns to the
Almighty Father in never-ceasing faith and joy, imploring His help
to open the eyes of the blind, soften the hearts that are puffed
up, and cleanse the church, which must be made pure and holy as the
bride of Christ, for that heavenly marriage supper for which her
spouse is waiting.

Nothing was spoken which the orthodox could well complain of; yet
every listener knew that such a discourse would not have been
preached by any man not "tainted" with what was then called heresy.
But the hearts of the hearers burnt within them as they listened;
and when, after some further time spent in discussion and prayer,
the preacher and his companion found themselves alone for the night
in a comfortable bed chamber, Dalaber threw himself upon Clarke's
neck in an outburst of fervid enthusiasm.

"Oh, let me be ever your son and scholar," he cried, "for with you
are the words of life and light!"

Then the elder man looked at him with a great tenderness in his
eyes, but his voice was full of gravity and warning.

"Dalaber," he said, "you desire you know not what. And I fear
sometimes that you seek to take upon yourself more than you wot
of--more than you are able. My preaching is sweet unto you now, for
that no persecution is laid upon you. But the time will come--of
that I am well assured, and that period peradventure shortly--when,
if ye continue to live godly therein, God will lay upon you the
cross of persecution, to try whether you, as pure gold, can abide
the fire."

"I know it! I am ready!" cried Dalaber, with the characteristic
backward motion of his head. His