use she said her chief trouble about
her state of mind was that some of her trust and peace seemed to have
left her.

"Ah! the moment it is put to the test!" said Mr Ruthven.

"Just so, sir; that is what I said to myself. As long as I lived alone,
out of the sound of any voice but Rollo's, I thought my peace was
settled, and that I was only waiting for the better peace which is to
come hereafter. Then, when Rollo was away, and my mind was searching
doubtfully after him, where he might be, and whether safe or killed, I
could always find rest, and say to myself that he was in God's hand, to
die _now_ or to live to close my eyes. But now, sir, there is a sadness
come over me; though I am obliged to your dear children for many
cheerful hours--I would not forget that. But as for my own child, when
I hear his voice merry from behind your garden wall, when I have been
longing for days to see his face--or when your children tell me things
that he has said, just while my ear is pining for his voice, I find
myself less settled in mind than I was--much less settled, sir, than I
think a Christian woman ought to be."

"And this indicates more than you tell me," observed Mr Ruthven. "What
can you have done to drive your son from his home and from his mother's
side? Some mistake there must be, to say the very least--some fatal
mistake, I will call it, for I would not be severe--some awful mistake.
Eh?"

"Perhaps so, sir." And she smothered a sigh.

The minister then gave her, at some length, his views on education,
insisting much on the duty of making young people happy at home; ending
with saying that no young man could, he thought, expect much comfort in
the society of a mother who could be so reckless of anybody's peace as
she had shewn herself that afternoon. He hoped she would take what he
said in good part. It was not pleasant to him to deal rebuke but he
must not shrink from it; and he rose to go.

"Certainly, sir," said Annie, rising too, and holding by the bed to
steady herself. "But, sir, if you would please to tell me particularly
what you think I have done so wrong to-day--Sir, you would not have me
let my son be made a smuggler?"

"You should--Nothing can be clearer than that you should--I wonder you
need to be told that you should have spoken to me. Instead of which,
you went quietly and told Macdonald."

"I am sure, sir, I thought you knew all about it."

"What of that? I am here at hand, to be yo