" she commented bitterly
"yet another of our brothers is in luck's way. Always our brothers!
Westminster and Oxford for them, and afterwards, it seems, a fortune:
while we sit at home in rags, or drudge and eat the bread of service.
Oh, why, mother? You and we suffer together--do you believe it can
be God's will?"

Hetty drew a long breath. "Perhaps," she said drearily, "Charles
will clothe us when he gets this money. Perhaps he will even find us
wooers in place of those to whom papa has shown the door."

"I am not sure your father will allow Charles to accept," said Mrs.
Wesley gently; "though I may persuade him to let the lad decide for
himself when he comes of age. Until then the offer stands open."

"I sometimes wonder," Emilia mused, "if our father be not staring
mad."

"Hush, child! That is neither for you to say nor for me to hear.
You know it has been almost a vow with him to dedicate your three
brothers to God's service."

"Charles might inherit Dangan Castle and serve God too. There is no
law that an Irish squire must spend all his time cock-fighting."

"These vows!" murmured Hetty, flinging herself back in her favourite
attitude and nursing her knee. "If folks will not obey Christ's
command and swear not at all, they might at least choose a vow which
only hurts themselves. Now, papa"--Hetty shot a glance at her
mother, who felt it, even in the dusk, and bent her eyes on the
smouldering fire. The girl had heard (for it was kitchen gossip)
that Mr. Wesley had once quarrelled with his wife over politics, and
left Epworth rectory vowing never to return to her until she
acknowledged William III. for her rightful king; nor indeed had
returned until William's death made the vow idle and released him.
"Now, papa"--after a pause--"has an unfortunate habit, like Jephthah,
of swearing to another's hurt. For instance, since Sukey married
Dick Ellison, he seems to have vowed that none of us shall have a
lover; and, so, dear mother, you might have found us just now, like
six daughters of Jephthah, bewailing our fates upon a hill."

"He has no fault to find with my John Lambert," put in Nancy.

Hetty did not heed. "I have no patience with these swearers. A man,
or a woman for that matter, should have the courage to outbrave an
oath when it hurts the innocent. Did God require the blood of
Jephthah's daughter? or of the sons of Rizpah? Think, mother, if
this fire were lit in the fields here, and you si