; the one with sweet content in hearing anything that
concerned the One she loved, and the other with an awakened interest in
lines of thought she had never pursued before.

"He is _splendid_!" said Adele at the close of the lecture. "I am
coming every day. Unless--there's that bothersome card party Thursday!
Stupid affair! But I won't go. What's the use?"

And so Mr. Bond secured a regular attendant.

Many were the expressions of interest, some of them very genuine. Mrs.
Gray had listened to her guest with valorous attempts to resist the
habitual afternoon nap, and told him later how very good indeed the
lecture was and hoped he would quite understand how manifold were the
cares of a household, and how unavoidable her hindrances, should she be
unable to be present every day. And Mr. Bond did understand his gentle
hostess very well, and often as he saw her in her home his meditative
eye rested upon her fair mother-face with an expression of chivalrous
pity and of earnest longing.

The second day's lecture found the audience sifted to some degree of
the idly curious and of a part of the critics unto whose standards the
speaker had failed to attain. As Mr. Bond's language was remarkably
free from the current phraseology of the schools of teaching, it was
difficult for theological birds to discover at once whether indeed he
were of their feather, and a second hearing, at least, was needed. But
no uncertain note was sounded to the alarm of any advocate of the most
orthodox written creed or of the severest unwritten code of belief, in
answer to the pivotal question of all theology: Jesus, the Son of
Man--_Who is He_? None gave more ardent honor to that Mystery of
godliness, who

"Was manifested in the flesh,
Justified in the spirit,
Seen of the angels,
Preached among the Gentiles,
Believed on in the world,
Received up in glory."

If some fell away from the gathering, there were new hearers, brought
through the good report of those interested, and the company numbered
rather more than before. Adele's "anarchist" was again there,
fastening his pale, strange eyes upon the face of the lecturer whether
he spoke or was quietly sitting; at times half crediting its look of
candor, then relapsing into sneering hopelessness of finding an honest
man among his class. He determined to try his favorite test of a
benevolent scheme before Mr. Bond should go away, and see if he would
abi