"You can read me a chapter from the Bible—some chapter of comfort, dear Willy."
"I will read you of the sufferings of our blessed Lord. Oh what are our pains compared to His! And He can feel for us, Percy—what a comfort that is—for He so well knows what it is to suffer! His soul was sorrowful even unto death, yet He said, 'The cup that my Father hath given Me, shall I not drink it?'"
[CHAPTER XVI.]
FEAR OF MAN.
WITH mingled feelings of pleasure and pain, Willy quitted the house of the attorney. He was thankful that he had been enabled to strew some flowers in a path hedged up with so many thorns. The glow of his own warm kindly feelings was a source of rich enjoyment; but there was another side to the picture. He had promised, if not prevented, to return the next day, to be present at an operation from the thought of which he recoiled; he doubted his own firmness, his own strength of mind, and felt that he should suffer almost as much as Percy.
Then with the sight of the white lodge of Anderdon Hall came recollections of no agreeable nature. Willy remembered how he had parted from Ned and his companions, and anticipated an unpleasant meeting. Then perhaps the formidable Sir Hugh might question him as to where he had been, and he could not but offend by his answer. Poor Willy felt as he might have done if marching up to a battery, and instinctively slackened his pace as he approached the house through the shrubbery.
"I seem beset with difficulties wherever I turn," thought he, "and there is no one to help me out of them. I only hope that the storm has blown over with Ned, and that the name of poor Percy may never be mentioned. I really feel very uneasy about it. Why, what a coward I am!" he exclaimed half-aloud. "If I am doing what is right, and obeying my Heavenly Master, why should I fear what man can do or say unto me?"
There was a sound of loud, angry talking in the hall—a bustle, and hum of many voices. Willy heard it, and if I must confess the truth, the uppermost thought in the mind of the boy was, "I hope that it is something that will draw off attention from me!"
All the boys and servants were collected in the hall; Sir Hugh stood with his back to the door, but the movement of his hand and foot were expressive of passion, and its effect was seen in the frightened countenances of the domestics.