rother watched with him alone, for Macdonald Dubh would have no one
else to see him, till, from utter exhaustion, toward the dawning of the
day, he fell asleep.

In the early morning the minister and his wife drove over to see him,
and leaving his wife with Kirsty, the minister passed at once into
Macdonald Dubh's room. But, in spite of all his reasoning, in spite of
all his readings and his prayers, the gloom remained unbroken except by
occasional paroxysms of fear and remorse.

"There is no forgiveness! There is no forgiveness!" was the burden of
his cry.

In vain the minister proclaimed to him the mercy of God. At length he
was forced to leave him to attend the "Question Meeting" which was to be
held in the church that day. But he left his wife behind him.

Without a word, Mrs. Murray proceeded to make the poor man comfortable.
She prepared a dainty breakfast and carried it in to him, and then she
sat beside him while he fell into a deep sleep.

It was afternoon when Macdonald Dubh awoke and greeted her with his
wonted grave courtesy.

"You are better, Mr. Macdonald," she said, brightly. "And now I will
make you a fresh cup of tea"; and though he protested, she hurried out,
and in a few moments brought him some tea and toast. Then, while he
lay in gloomy silence, she read to him, as she did once before from his
Gaelic psalm book, without a word of comment. And then she began to tell
him of all the hopes she had cherished in connection with the opening of
the new church, and how that day she had felt at last the blessing had
come.

"And, O, Mr. Macdonald," she said, "I was glad to hear you cry, for then
I knew that the Spirit of God was among us."

"Glad!" said Macdonald Dubh, faintly.

"Yes, glad. For a cry like that never comes but when the Spirit of God
moves in the heart of a man."

"Indeed, I will be thinking that He has cast me off forever," he said,
wondering at this new phase of the subject.

"Then you must thank Him, Mr. Macdonald, that He has not so done; and
the sure proof to you is that He has brought you to cry for mercy. That
is a glad cry, in the ears of the Saviour. It is the cry of the sheep in
the wilderness, that discovers him to the shepherd." And then, without
argument, she took him into her confidence and poured out to him all her
hopes and fears for the young people of the congregation, and especially
for Ranald, till Macdonald Dubh partly forgot his own fears in hers. And
then, ju