our Lord, who died to save us from
Hell."

"It does not sound like it. Then why had the little child to go there?"

"She did not go there! She went to Purgatory."

"She went to pain, if I understood you rightly. Why did your Messiah
not finish His work, and keep her from going to pain altogether?"

"I cannot answer such wicked questions," said Avice. "The Church
teaches that God's love purifies His servants in Purgatory, and as soon
as their souls are clean they go to Heaven."

"Our God does better for us than that," was Hester's quiet answer. "I
do not know what `the Church' is. But I suppose God's love is not for
Gentiles."

And she relapsed into silence. Avice sat and span--and thought. Both
of them were terribly ignorant; but Avice did honestly desire to know
God's will, and such truth as was in Hester's words troubled her. And
as she thought, other words came to her, heard years ago from the pulpit
of Lincoln Cathedral, and from the long silent lips of that holy Bishop
Grosteste whom she so deeply revered.

"By leaning on Christ," the Bishop had said, "every true Christian rises
into true life, peace, and joy; he lives in His life, sees light in His
light, is invigorated with His warmth, grows in His strength, and
leaning on the Beloved, his soul ascends upwards."

Then for those who loved Christ and leaned on Him, either He must be
with them in Purgatory, and then it would be no pain at all: or--Avice
shrank from the alternative that perhaps there was no Purgatory at all!
It is hard to break free from trammels in which we have been held all
our lives. Bertha did not follow the course of her aunt's thoughts, and
wondered why she said, after long silence--

"Methinks God is enough for His people, wherever they are."

Hester also had been thinking, and to as much purpose.

"It is written, `In His name shall the Gentiles trust,'" she said. "And
I think, if He can love any Gentiles, it must be kindly and merciful
hearts like yours. Perhaps the Great Sacrifice--the Messiah Himself--is
meant for all men. But I think He will finish His work, and not leave
it incomplete, as your priests seem to teach you."

"He will do right by all men, if thou meanest our Lord," replied Avice
gently. "And what was right for all, and best for us, we shall know
when we come to Him."

"Then the little Lady knows it now, Aunt," said Bertha.

"Yes, my darling knows it now. It may be she knows why her ears were
s