learn me now; and it's very hard. There's the Pharisees, Tim, and Raca; I
don't know who they are.'

The conversation was stopped by Martha suddenly starting bolt upright,
and dropping two or three hurried curtseys. The boys looked up from their
book quickly, and saw a young lady passing through the wicket and coming
up the garden walk, with a smile upon her pleasant face as she met their
gaze.

'My boys,' she said, in a soft, kindly voice, 'I've been sitting on the
bank yonder, behind your cottage; and I heard one of you reading a
chapter in the Bible. Which of you was it?'

'It was him,' cried Tim and Martha together, pointing at Stephen.

'And you said you had no one to teach you,' continued the lady. 'Now
would you learn well, if I promised to teach you?'

Stephen looked up speechlessly into the smiling face before him. He had
never read of the angels, and scarcely knew that there were such beings;
but he felt as if this fair and sweet-looking lady, with her gentle
voice, and the kindly eyes meeting his own, was altogether of a different
order to themselves.

'I am Mr. Wyley's niece,' she added, 'and I am come to live at Botfield
for a while. Could you manage to come down to Mr. Wyley's house sometimes
for a lesson?'

'Please, ma'am,' said Martha, who was not at all afraid of speaking to
any lady, though she dare not face the master, 'he wants to turn us out