nded rather abruptly; his earnest manner, striking
countenance and excellent delivery had produced an effect greater than
the actual words I have given can convey to the reader; the virtue lay in
the man more than in what he said; as for the last few mysterious words
about his having heard a voice by night, their effect was magical; there
was not one who did not look down to the ground, nor who in his heart did
not half believe that he was the chosen vessel on whose especial behalf
God had sent Mr Hawke to Cambridge. Even if this were not so, each one
of them felt that he was now for the first time in the actual presence of
one who had had a direct communication from the Almighty, and they were
thus suddenly brought a hundredfold nearer to the New Testament miracles.
They were amazed, not to say scared, and as though by tacit consent they
gathered together, thanked Mr Hawke for his sermon, said good-night in a
humble deferential manner to Badcock and the other Simeonites, and left
the room together. They had heard nothing but what they had been hearing
all their lives; how was it, then, that they were so dumbfoundered by it?
I suppose partly because they had lately begun to think more seriously,
and were in a fit state to be impressed, partly from the greater
directness with which each felt himself addressed, through the sermon
being delivered in a room, and partly to the logical consistency, freedom
from exaggeration, and profound air of conviction with which Mr Hawke had
spoken. His simplicity and obvious earnestness had impressed them even
before he had alluded to his special mission, but this clenched
everything, and the words "Lord, is it I?" were upon the hearts of each
as they walked pensively home through moonlit courts and cloisters.

I do not know what passed among the Simeonites after the Ernest set had
left them, but they would have been more than mortal if they had not been
a good deal elated with the results of the evening. Why, one of Ernest's
friends was in the University eleven, and he had actually been in
Badcock's rooms and had slunk off on saying good-night as meekly as any
of them. It was no small thing to have scored a success like this.

CHAPTER L

Ernest felt now that the turning point of his life had come. He would
give up all for Christ--even his tobacco.

So he gathered together his pipes and pouches, and locked them up in his
portmanteau under his bed where they should be out