written at the time
may tell the rest of it.

"On Saturday I went. I went straight to the teacher's house, and sent
off the bandy at once, and by God's special arrangement got in
unnoticed. For hours we sat in the little inner room, waiting; we could
hear her voice in the courtyard outside--a hard, changed voice. The
teacher tried to get her in, but no, she would not come. Oh, how we held
on to God! I could not bear to go till I had seen her.

"At last we had to go. The cart came back for us, thus proclaiming where
we were, and the last human chance was gone. And then, just then, like
one walking in a dream, Treasure wandered in and stood, startled.

"She did not know we were there. We were kneeling with our backs to the
door. I turned and saw her.

"I cannot write about the next five minutes; I thought I realised
something of what Satan could do in this land, but I knew nothing about
it. Oh, when will Jesus come and end it all?

"Just once it seemed as if the spell were broken. My arms were round
her, though she had shrunk away at first, and tried to push me from her;
she was quiet now, and seemed to understand a little how one cared. She
knelt down with me, and covered her eyes as if in prayer, while I poured
out my soul for her, and then we were all very still, and the Lord
seemed very near. But she rose, unmoved, and looked at us. We were all
quite broken down, and she smiled in a strange, hard, foolish way--that
was all.

"The cause no one knows. There are only two possible explanations. One is
poison. There is some sort of mind-bewildering medicine which it is
known is given in such cases. This is the view held by the Christians
on the spot. One of them says her cousin was dealt with in this way. He
was keen to be a Christian, and was shut up for a day, and came
out--dead. Dead, she means, to all which before had been life to him.

"The other, and worse, is sin. Has she been forced into some sin which
to one so enlightened as she is must mean an awful darkness, the hiding
of God's face?

"I cannot tell you how bright this dear child was. Up till that Saturday
evening her faith never wavered; she was a living sign to all the town
that the Lord is God. The heathen are triumphant now."

I have told you plainly what has happened. God's Truth needs no
painting. I leave it with you. Do you believe it is perfectly true? Then
what are you going to do?

CHAPTER XVI

Wanted, Volunteers

"We h