m of the sea?
and must one perhaps be tossed by the storm to find out the value and
the power of the hand that helps? It did smite Dolly with a kind of
pain, the sense of Christina's sheltered position and security; the
thought of the father's arms that were a harbour for her, the
guardianship that came between her and all the roughness of the world.
And yet, Dolly along with the bitterness of this, was tasting also
something else which did not enter Christina's cup of life; a rarer
sweetness, which she would not have exchanged for Christina's whole
draught. She had found jewels more precious at the depth of the sea
than ever Christina could pick up in her pleasure sail along shore.
Christina, with all her luxury, was missing something, and in danger of
losing more. Dolly resolved to speak.

"Do you know, Tiny," she said, "if I were Mr. Shubrick, I should not be
satisfied?"

"Why not?" said Christina carelessly.

"Why, you are preferring the world to him."

"I am not! No such thing, Dolly. I love him dearly."

"By your own showing, you love--what shall I say?--luxuries and
position, more."

"I only want to wait a little."

"And, Christina--I don't believe God likes it."

"Likes what?"

"Your wanting to do as the world do."

"How do you know I do?"

"You said so."

"I like to have a nice house, and servants enough, and furniture to
please me, and means to entertain my friends; and who doesn't? That's
all I ask for."

"And to do what everybody else does."

"Yes," said Christina smiling. "Who don't?"

"You were on the Pincian Hill Sunday afternoon."

"Yes," said Christina suddenly, looking up. "Why not? Why weren't you
there?"

"If you will read the last two verses of the fifty-eighth chapter of
Isaiah, you will know."

"I can't read in this light," said Christina, looking round the room,
"and I don't know just where I have laid my Bible. Everybody goes to
the Pincian. It's no harm."

"Would Mr. Shubrick go?"

"Who told you he wouldn't?" said Christina. "I declare, if you are
going to help him in his crotchets, I won't let you see much of him!
Sandie!--he's just an unmanageable, unreasonable bit of
downrightness.--And uprightness," she added, laughing. "Dolly, he can
have his own way aboard ship; but in the world one can't get along so.
One must conform a little. One must."

"Does God like it?" said Dolly.

"What queer questions you ask! This is not a matter of religion; it is
only living."