sy was in a measure
prepared for him. It chanced that she had asked Evan Roberts that
self-same question.

"Why, free from the power and dominion of Satan; not belonging to him
any more, and having a strength that is beyond and above anything
earthly to lean upon, stronger than Satan's power can ever be."

Rich. gave a scornful little laugh.

"He is an old fellow that I don't particularly believe in," he said,
loftily, as though that forever settled the question as to the existence
of such a person. "I think a fellow is a silly coward who lays the blame
of his wickedness off on Satan's shoulders; just as if Satan could make
him do what he didn't choose to do! always supposing that there is such
a creature."

Oh wise and wily Flossy! She knew he was wrong. She knew he had
contradicted his own logic, used but a few minutes before, but she did
not attempt to prove it to him; for, in the first place, she felt
instinctively that the most difficult thing in the world is to convince
an ignorant person that he has been foolish and illogical in his
argument. You may prove this to an intelligent mind that is accustomed
to reason, and to weigh the merits of questions, but it is a rare thing
to find an uncultured brain that can follow you closely enough to be
convinced of his own folly.

Flossy did not understand herself well enough to reason this out. It was
simply a fine instinct that she had, perhaps it ought to be called
"tact," that led her to be careful how she tried anything of this sort.
Besides, there was another reason. She did not know how to set about
doing it. It is one thing to see a sophistry, and another to take to
pieces the filmy threads of which it is composed. She waived the whole
subject, and jumped to one on which there could be but one opinion.

"Well, then, suppose you were right, and every one were free to be
perfect if he would; that only reaches to the end of this life. We
surely haven't been perfect, you and I, for instance, so our perfection
cannot save us from the penalty of sin, and that is death. What a grand
thing it would be to be free from that! You believe in death, don't you?
and I suppose, like every other sensible person, you are afraid of
death, unless you have found something that makes you free from its
power."

Rich. was still in a scornful mood.

"Should like to see anybody that is free from that!" he said,
sneeringly. "As near as I can make out, those persons who think they are