'What funny names! I think I like Ipse best I'll call him Ipse, shall I?'
But Mr. Upton's thoughts were far away by this time, and presently he said, as if to himself, '"The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death." "Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors, through Him that loved us." It is a fight with certain victory ahead; then why do we fail?'
'Shall I fail?' questioned a soft voice by his side.
'"Without Me ye can do nothing." That's our Captain's word: if you fight without Him, you are done for.'
'I think I shall sometimes let Ipse have his way. Will that be deserting to the enemy?'
'It will be sure and certain defeat.'
'But then, of course, my Captain won't let me be beaten, if I stick close to Him.'
And so they talked, a strange couple; but the younger of them had a faith which the elder might envy, and a grasp of the unseen that the ripest saint could not surpass.
Not long after this, Teddy and his schoolfellows were having a delightful afternoon in the woods. It was Saturday afternoon, and they were playing their favourite war game, Teddy, of course, being prime instigator of the whole affair. A few of the more adventurous girls had joined them, Nancy amongst them. Her respect for Teddy was gradually increasing, though nothing seemed to quench her self-assertion and independence of thought and action. At length Teddy announced his intention of going off on an expedition as a scout, and on Nancy's insisting that she should come too, the two children started, made their way out of the wood and down to the banks of the stream, which soon joined the river.
'What have we to do?' asked Nancy.