words: "Perhaps God will forgive me."
To John Fenn those words meant the
crowning of all his efforts: she had
repented!

"Truly," he said, lying very white
and feeble on his pillow and looking
into Philly's face when she brought
him his gruel, "truly,

"He moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform!"

The "mysterious way" was the befalling
of that terrible illness in Henry
Roberts's house, so that Philippa should
be impressed by it. "If my affliction
has been blessed to any one else, I am
glad to have suffered it," he said.

Philippa silently put a spoonful of
gruel between his lips; he swallowed it
as quickly as he could.
"I heard you call upon God for
forgiveness; the Lord is merciful and
gracious!"

Philly said, very low, "Yes; oh YES."
So John Fenn thanked God and took
his gruel, and thought it was very good.