r been in earnest, she did not find it the less easy to take upon
her the role of a spiritual adviser, and gave no end of counsel for the
attainment of assurance. She told her truly enough that all her
trouble came of want of faith; but she showed her no one fit to believe
in.

CHAPTER XVIII.

A CLASH.

All this time, Donal had never again seen the earl, neither had the
latter shown any interest in Davie's progress. But lady Arctura was
full of serious anxiety concerning him. Heavily prejudiced against the
tutor, she dreaded his influence on the mind of her little cousin.

There was a small recess in the schoolroom--it had been a bay window,
but from an architectural necessity arising from decay, it had, all
except a narrow eastern light, been built up--and in this recess Donal
was one day sitting with a book, while Davie was busy writing at the
table in the middle of the room: it was past school-hours, but the
weather did not invite them out of doors, and Donal had given Davie a
poem to copy. Lady Arctura came into the room--she had never entered
it before since Donal came--and thinking he was alone, began to talk to
the boy. She spoke in so gentle a tone that Donal, busy with his book,
did not for some time distinguish a word she said. He never suspected
she was unaware of his presence. By degrees her voice grew a little
louder, and by and by these words reached him:

"You know, Davie dear, every sin, whatever it is, deserves God's wrath
and curse, both in this life and that which is to come; and if it had
not been that Jesus Christ gave himself to turn away his anger and
satisfy his justice by bearing the punishment for us, God would send us
all to the place of misery for ever and ever. It is for his sake, not
for ours, that he pardons us."

She had not yet ceased when Donal rose in the wrath of love, and came
out into the room.

"Lady Arctura," he said, "I dare not sit still and hear such false
things uttered against the blessed God!"

Lady Arctura started in dire dismay, but in virtue of her breed and her
pride recovered herself immediately, drew herself up, and said--

"Mr. Grant, you forget yourself!"

"I'm very willing to do that, my lady," answered Donal, "but I must not
forget the honour of my God. If you were a heathen woman I might think
whether the hour was come for enlightening you further, but to hear one
who has had the Bible in her hands from her childhood say such things
abou