Adam soon reached home, and as he entered, Sarah Evans rose from her seat to pour out his frugal supper of porridge, and to place it before him. She had been reading, for she put her book aside at his coming.
"The children are all in bed and asleep," she said. "They have been very good with me; better than I expected, though I am used to children. Yours are very ready to do as they are bid."
"They find it best for 'em," said Adam. Not many words, but they expressed a good deal.
"It's best for us all, isn't it, Mr. Livesey? Though it's sometimes hard work to do a thing just because it's right, specially when one's mind is hanging after something else."
Adam answered that he supposed it was, then relapsed into silence again, and attacked the plate of steaming porridge, though he afterwards bethought himself to ask if Sarah had kept any for her own supper.
"I had my bit before you came. I was getting some food of another sort when you came in, and I hardly noticed how time was going."
Adam looked round inquiringly, and the girl, seeing this, laid her hand on the Bible. "I didn't mean anything to eat. I was reading some words of Jesus. It cheers one so to have a verse or two to think about, when one's hands are busy and there's nobody to speak to. I shall be washing to-morrow, but all the day through I shall have these verses coming into my head, and helping me on."
"You might read them to me," said Adam, making his porridge last out, as an excuse for not moving.
Sarah complied with the request, and read—