, and beautified by Christianity.
Her visitor went at once straight to the point.

"Forgive my intrusion, Mrs Samson," he said, taking the chair to which
the old woman pointed, "but, indeed, I feel assured that you will, when
I state that the object of my visit is to ask you to aid in the rescue
of a friend from drink."

"No man intrudes on me who comes on such an errand; but how does it
happen, sir, that you think _I_ am able to aid you?"

To this Charlie replied by giving her an account of his meeting and
conversation with Zook, and followed that up with a full explanation of
his recent efforts and a graphic description of Isaac Leather.

The old woman listened attentively, and, as her visitor proceeded, with
increasing interest not unmingled with surprise and amusement.

When he had concluded, Mrs Samson rose, and, opening a door leading to
another room, held up her finger to impose silence, and softly bade him
look in.

He did so. The room was a very small one, scantily furnished, with a
low truckle-bed in one corner, and there, on the bed, lay the object of
his quest--Isaac Leather! Charlie had just time to see that the thin
pale face was not that of a dead, but of a sleeping, man when the old
woman gently pulled him back and re-closed the door.

"That's your man, I think."

"Yes, that's the man--I thank God for this most astonishing and
unlooked-for success."

"Ah! sir," returned the woman, sitting down again, "most of our
successes are unlooked for, and, when they do come, we are not too ready
to recognise the hand of the Giver."

"Nevertheless you must admit that some incidents do seem almost
miraculous," said Charlie. "To have found _you_ out in this great city,
the very person who had Mr Leather in her keeping, does seem
unaccountable, does it not?"

"Not so unaccountable as it seems to you," replied the old woman, "and
certainly not so much of a miracle as it would have been if you had
found him by searching the lodging-houses. Here is the way that God
seems to have brought it about. I have for many years been a pensioner
of the house of Withers and Company, by whom I was employed until the
senior partner made me a sort of female city-missionary amongst the
poor. I devoted myself particularly to the reclaiming of drunkards--
having special sympathy with them. A friend of mine, Miss Molloy, also
employed by the senior partner in works of charity, happened to be
acquainted with Mr Leather a