"You know I am your friend, and that I shall be glad to help you," said Mr. Earle.
"If you could tell me how to get rid of a promise, without either keeping or breaking it, and how to forget things that I don't want to think of, I'd like it. But I suppose you can't do that," said Herbert, trying to laugh, but not succeeding very well.
"If I could," replied his pastor, "I might be doing you an injury. I think we shall find a better way. Let us hear how the case stands."
Herbert had thought that he would not talk with Mr. Earle for anything in the world, but now he burst out with it all.
"It's about Tom's letter, and your sermon, and our class motto, and a promise I made to Miss Wynn about it, and—I suppose I'm very wicked, and I know God is angry with me."
"No, Herbert, you are angry with God. You are angry because He has sent the Holy Spirit to lead you to the Saviour. He is doubtless angry with your sin and rebellion, but He loves you, and would save you. He wants to make you his friend; He asks your love, and you refuse it; and worse still, you are angry because He asks it. Isn't that the way of it?"
"I suppose so. I suppose it is a dreadful thing to say, but I don't want to be a Christian."
He expected his friend would be shocked at his assertion, and was surprised at the quiet reply.
"Well, in that case, why trouble yourself any more about it?"
"But I know I ought to be."