at for Him who did lose His own life in
rescuing thee. Love Him with every fibre of thine heart, and love what
He has loved for His sake. He has left with thee those for whom on
earth He cared most,--the poor, the sick, the unhappy. Be they unto
thee as thy dearest, and He the dearest of all."

This was very unlike any counsel which Doucebelle had ever before
received from a confessor. There was something here of which she could
take hold. Not that Father Bruno had suggested a new course of action
so much as that he had supplied a new motive power. To do good, to give
alms, to be kind to poor and sick people, Doucebelle had been taught
already: but the reason for it was either the abstract notion that it
was the right thing to do, or that it would help to increase her little
heap of human merit.

To all minds, but in particular to an ignorant one, there is an enormous
difference between the personal and the impersonal. Tell a child that
such a thing must be done because it is right, and the motive power is
faint and vague, not unlikely to be overthrown by the first breath of
temptation. But let the child understand that to do this thing will
please or displease God, and you have supplied a far stronger energising
power, in the intelligible reference to the will of a living Person.

Doucebelle felt this--as, more or less, we all do.

"Father," she said, after a momentary pause, "I want your advice."

"State thy perplexity, my daughter."

"I hope, Father, you will not be angry; but a few days ago, when you and
the other priests were talking in the ante-chamber about Belasez, the
door was open, and we heard every word in the bower."

"Did Belasez hear what was said?"

"Yes."

"Ha! What did she say?"

"I asked her, at night, whether what you had said had wounded her. And
she said, No: but she thought there was one Christian priest who was
like what the Scripture described Christ to be."

"Did she say that?" There was a tone of tender regret in the priest's
voice.

"She did. But, Father, I want to know how to deal with Belasez.
Sometimes she will talk to me quite freely, and tell me all her thoughts
and feelings: at other times I cannot get a word out of her."

"Let her alone at the other times. What is the state of her mind?"

"She seems to have been very much struck, Father, with a sermon from
your Bishop, wherein he proved out of her own Scriptures, she says, that
our Lord is the Messiah whom