can hardly be blamed for its
readiness to impute to the case the shallowness of its pleader. Few men
do more harm than those who, taking the right side, dispute for personal
victory, and argue, as they are sure then to do, ungenerously. But even
genuine argument for the truth is not preaching the gospel, neither is
he whose unbelief is thus assailed, likely to be brought thereby into
any mood but one unfit for receiving it. Argument should be kept to
books; preachers ought to have nothing to do with it--at all events in
the pulpit. There let them hold forth light, and let him who will,
receive it, and him who will not, forbear. God alone can convince, and
till the full time is come for the birth of the truth in a soul, the
words of even the Lord Himself are not there potent.

"The man irritates me, I confess," said Mr. Drake. "I do not say he is
self-satisfied, but he is very self-sufficient."

"He is such a good fellow," said Wingfold, "that I think God will not
let him go on like this very long. I think we shall live to see a change
upon him. But much as I esteem and love the man, I can not help a
suspicion that he has a great lump of pride somewhere about him, which
has not a little to do with his denials."

Juliet's blood seemed seething in her veins as she heard her lover thus
weighed, and talked over; and therewith came the first rift of a
threatened breach betwixt her heart and the friends who had been so good
to her. He had done far more for her than any of them, and mere loyalty
seemed to call upon her to defend him; but she did not know how, and,
dissatisfied with herself as well as indignant with them, she maintained
an angry silence.

CHAPTER XXV.

OSTERFIELD PARK.

It was a long time since Mr. Drake and Dorothy had had such a talk
together, or had spent such a pleasant evening as that on which they
went into Osterfield Park to be alone with a knowledge of their changed
fortunes. The anxiety of each, differing so greatly from that of the
other, had tended to shut up each in loneliness beyond the hearing of
the other; so that, while there was no breach in their love, it was yet
in danger of having long to endure

"an expansion,
Like gold to airy thinness beat."

But this evening their souls rushed together. The father's anxiety was
chiefly elevated; the daughter's remained much what it was before; yet
these anxieties no longer availed to keep them apart.

Each relation of life has it