the
house on the hill to inform our friends of our arrival, or they will have
retired for the night." "True," said Winifred, and forthwith wended her
way to the house in question, returning shortly with another woman, whom
the man, speaking in the same language which I had heard him first use,
greeted by the name of Mary; the woman replied in the same tongue, but
almost immediately said, in English, "We hoped to have heard you speak to-
night, Peter, but we cannot expect that now, seeing that it is so late,
owing to your having been detained by the way, as Winifred tells me;
nothing remains for you to do now but to sup--to-morrow, with God's will,
we shall hear you." "And to-night, also, with God's will, provided you
be so disposed. Let those of your family come hither." "They will be
hither presently," said Mary, "for knowing that thou art arrived, they
will, of course, come and bid thee welcome." And scarcely had she spoke,
when I beheld a party of people descending the moonlit side of the hill.
They soon arrived at the place where we were; they might amount in all to
twelve individuals. The principal person was a tall, athletic man, of
about forty, dressed like a plain country farmer; this was, I soon found,
the husband of Mary; the rest of the group consisted of the children of
these two, and their domestic servants. One after another they all shook
Peter by the hand, men and women, boys and girls, and expressed their joy
at seeing him. After which, he said, "Now, friends, if you please, I
will speak a few words to you." A stool was then brought him from the
cart, which he stepped on, and the people arranging themselves round him,
some standing, some seated on the ground, he forthwith began to address
them in a clear, distinct voice; and the subject of his discourse was the
necessity, in all human beings, of a change of heart.

The preacher was better than his promise, for, instead of speaking a few
words, he preached for at least three-quarters of an hour; none of the
audience, however, showed the slightest symptom of weariness; on the
contrary, the hope of each individual appeared to hang upon the words
which proceeded from his mouth. At the conclusion of the sermon or
discourse, the whole assembly again shook Peter by the hand, and returned
to their house, the mistress of the family saying, as she departed, "I
shall soon be back, Peter, I go but to make arrangements for the supper
of thyself and company