Ellen started. "How did you know, how could you know what I was thinking of?"
"Perhaps my thoughts took the same road," said he, smiling. "But, Ellie, dear, let us look to that one source of happiness that can never be dried up; it is not safe to count upon anything else."
"It is not wonderful," said Ellen, in a tremulous voice, "if I "
"It is not wonderful, Ellie, nor wrong. But we, who look up to God as our Father who rejoice in Christ our Saviour we are happy, whatever beside we may gain or lose. Let us trust Him, and never doubt that, Ellie."
"But still " said Ellen.
"But, still, we will hope and pray alike in that matter; and while we do, and may, with our whole hearts, let us leave ourselves in our Father's hand. The joy of the knowledge of Christ the joy the world cannot intermeddle with, the peace it cannot take away! Let us make that our own, Ellie; and, for the rest, put away all anxious care about what we cannot control."
Ellen's hand, however, did not just then lie quite so lightly on his arm as it did a few minutes ago he could feel that and could see the glitter of one or two tears in the moonlight as they fell. The hand was fondly taken in his; and, as they slowly paced up and down, he went on, in low tones of kindness and cheerfulness, with his pleasant talk, till she was too happy in the present to be anxious about the future looked up again and brightly into his face, and questions and answers came as gaily as ever.
CHAPTER XLVI.
"Something turns up."
The rest of the winter, or rather the early part of the spring, passed happily away. March, at Thirlwall, seemed more to belong to the former than the latter. Then spring came in good earnest; April and May brought warm days and wild flowers. Ellen refreshed herself and adorned the room with quantities of them; and, as soon as might be, she set about restoring the winter-ruined garden. Mr. John was not fond of gardening; he provided her with all manner of tools, ordered whatever work she wanted to be done for her, supplied her with new plants and seeds, and roots, and was always ready to give her his help in any operations or press of business that called for it. But, for the most part, Ellen hoed and raked and transplanted, and sowed seeds, while he walked or read; often giving his counsel, indeed, asked and unasked, and always coming in between her and any difficult or heavy job. The hours thus spent were to Ellen hours of unmixed delight. When he did not choose to go himself, he sent Thomas with her, as the garden was some little distance down the mountain, away from the house and from everybody he never allowed her to go there alone.