r and peculiar love of Him, that cannot
belong to any other? Yea, more; for the chain of the neck is not a
member, but only the ornament of a member. Wherefore one grace--for the
ornaments of the soul be his graces--one grace of one Christian soul is
enough to delight Christ's heart."

Both were silent for a while, Agnes learning her new lesson.

"Mine heart!" said John Laurence suddenly, "the right way at times looks
like the wrong."

"What meanest thou, John?" said Agnes, looking into his face, and
startled by its expression of pain.

"Dear heart, we know not what lieth afore us. We be so blind, Agnes!
But He knows. It is enough, if we are ready to follow Him. Canst thou
dare follow, as well through the flood and the fire as through the
flowery mead?"

"I cannot tell," she said tremulously. "I would try."

"There be two staves to lean on in our weariness," he said. "The one is
for earth: `Fear not, because I am with thee.' And the other is of
Heaven, but gildeth earth with hope: `Where I am, there shall My servant
be.' There must be glory and sweetness, where is Jesus Christ."

Long years afterwards, Agnes recalled those words.

CHAPTER SEVEN.

SAD TIDINGS.

"But of all sad words by tongue or pen,
The saddest are these--`It might have been!'"

Though the majority of the nation were comparatively indifferent to the
religious changes that had been effected, there were certain political
occurrences which they viewed with less equanimity. One of these was
the vast number of Spaniards brought over by Philip. It was reckoned--
doubtless with some exaggeration--that in September, 1554, three
Spaniards might be seen in London to every Englishman. The rumour ran
that five thousand more were on the way. The nation was both vexed and
alarmed. Was England to be reduced, like the Netherlands, to the
condition of a mere outlying province of Spain?

Before eight weeks had run out from the day of Philip's arrival in
London, his hand upon the reins was plainly visible. He had been heard
to say that if he believed a member of his own body to be tainted with
heresy, he would amputate it immediately and without remorse. The
Gospellers were not left quite ignorant of what they might reasonably
expect.

It was on a quiet morning in October that Agnes was on her way to
Horsepool, when she was overtaken by Cicely Marvell, carrying a yoke of
water-pails like herself.

"Good morrow, Mistress Marvell!"