"Dear Anne, our Lord hath done all for us already. He hath borne our sins in His own body on the tree; it is by His stripes we are healed, and not by those we lay on ourselves; the Scripture says so. They are the words of St. Peter himself. He came into the world not to condemn, but to save it, and whosoever believeth in Him hath everlasting life and shall never come into condemnation. He is ready to save, His ear is always open. Oh, dear Anne, come to Him—see and know Him. Leave all these devices of men which are separating you from your family, and driving you into your grave, and be at peace."
Anne looked at her brother for a moment with wide-open eyes as if she had seen a ghost. Then she said in a husky whisper—
"What do you mean? Who has been saying these things to you?"
"It is the Lord Himself who says them, Anne," replied Jack. "He tells us so in His Word, that very word which supported Agnes Harland when she was despitefully used for reading and believing it. Anne, I am putting my life in your hands by telling you these things; but I cannot see you suffering as you are without trying to help you. Oh, sister, only read for yourself—only hear—"
In his eagerness, he had thrown himself on his knees at his sister's side and seized her hand.
Anne pushed him away.
"How dare you speak so to me?" she said angrily. "Is it not enough then that you should destroy yourself without trying to destroy me?"
"It is because I would save you that I speak. Only look for yourself. Anne, I tell you, as sure as you are alive, there is no other way of salvation but through faith in Christ. If your merits were as great as those of St. Peter himself, they could avail nothing so far as that is concerned. Our Lord has Himself paid all the price of our redemption, and we have but to accept it as a free gift at His hands. Oh, sister, the way is so easy!"
"Easy! Yes, the way to hell is always easy," said Anne, with bitterness. "It is the other way that is hard. How dare you come bringing your heresies into this room where our mother died? How dare you speak them to me who am the promised bride of Christ? How dare you tell me that all my prayers and penances are worth nothing in God's sight, after all these years that I have striven to earn His favor and love?"
Jack was silent for a moment, startled by Anne's burst of passion so unlike her usual self-restraint.