"I will tell her," answered Cuthbert, as he took the slight form
into his arms. "She will be rejoiced to hear it, I doubt not. I
too, my sister, have shared some of that peace myself. I have found
that the faith in which we were reared, albeit it holds much of
golden truth, has been so overlaid by artifice of man that the gold
is sadly tarnished. I have some deep love for it yet, but I love
better the purer faith that I have learned from the written Word of
God, and have heard from the lips of godly men of the Established
Church of the land. I have seen and heard much in yon great city,
and methinks that all creeds have much that is true--much that is
the same; but it seems the nature of man to fight and wrangle over
the differences, instead of rejoicing in the unity of a common
faith; wherefore there be misery and strife and jealousy abounding,
and the adversaries may well blaspheme. But I came not to talk such
matters with thee, sweet sister; they baffle the wisdom of the
wisest. Keep fast hold of the peace thou hast found, and let no man
take it from thee. I would I lived not in the midst of such weary
war of words. There be times when the heart sickens at it, and one
is fain to lay all aside sooner than have to own allegiance to any
one party, when one sees the bad as well as the good of all."

Petronella's eyes were wide with astonishment and perplexity. She
felt as though she had a very Solon for a brother when Cuthbert
talked after this serious fashion. But she too had heard from the
Trevlyns of the Chase somewhat of the burning questions of the day,
and she was not wholly uninstructed in the matter.

"That is one boon granted to us weak women," she said, with a
shadowy little smile. "We are not called upon to take part in the
world's battlefield. We may think our own thoughts, and go our