near as y' are yerself, sir, I 'ave--an' I've spoke to 'Im."'

"What did the curate say?" Dart asked, amazed.

"Seemed like it frightened 'im a bit. 'We mustn't be too bold, Miss
Montaubyn, my dear,' 'e ses, for 'e's a kind young man as ever lived,
an' often ses 'my dear' to them 'e's comfortin'. But yer see the lidy
'ad gave me a Bible o' me own an' I'd set 'ere an' read it, an' read it
an' learned verses to say to meself when I was in bed--an' I'd got ter
feel like it was someone talkin' to me an' makin' me understand. So I
ses, ''T ain't boldness we're warned against; it's not lovin' an'
trustin' enough, an' not askin' an' believin' TRUE. Don't yer remember
wot it ses: "I, even I, am 'e that comforteth yer. Who art thou that
thou art afraid of man that shall die an' the son of man that shall be
made as grass, an' forgetteth Jehovah thy Creator, that stretched forth
the 'eavens an' laid the foundations of the earth?" an' "I've covered
thee with the shadder of me 'and," it ses; an' "I will go before thee
an' make the rough places smooth;" an' "'Itherto ye 'ave asked nothin'
in my name; ask therefore that ye may receive, an' yer joy may be made
full."' An' 'e looked down on the floor as if 'e was doin' some 'ard
thinkin', pore young man, an' 'e ses, quite sudden an' shaky, 'Lord, I
believe, 'elp thou my unbelief,' an' 'e ses it as if 'e was in trouble
an' didn't know 'e'd spoke out loud."

"Where--how did you come upon your verses?" said Dart. "How did you
find them?"

"Ah," triumphantly, "they was all answers--they was the first answers I
ever 'ad. When I first come 'ome an' it seemed as if I was goin' to be
swep' away in the dirt o' the street--one day when I was near drove wild