A miserable walk home was that, and full of wretched thoughts.  Poor Roger Acton, tossed by much trouble, vexed with sore oppression, I wish that you had prayed in your distress; stop, he did pray, and that vehemently; but it was not for help, or guidance, or patience, or consolation—­he only prayed for gold.

CHAPTER VIII.

The covetous dream.

Once at home, the sad truth soon was told.  Roger’s look alone spoke of some calamity, and he had but little heart or hope to keep the matter secret.  True, he said not a word about the early morning’s sin; why should he? he had been punished for it, and he had repented; let him be humbled before God, but not confess to man.  However, all about the bailiff, and the landlord, and the thieved gift, and the sudden dismissal, the sure ruin, the dismal wayside plans, and fears, and dark alternatives, without one hope in any—­these did poor Acton fluently pour forth with broken-hearted eloquence; to these Grace listened sorrowfully, with a face full of gentle trust in God’s blessing on the morrow’s interview; these Mary, the wife, heard to an end, with—­no storm of execration on ill-fortune, no ebullition of unjust rage against a fool of a husband, no vexing sneers, no selfish apprehensions.  Far from it; there really was one unlooked-for blessing come already to console poor Roger; and no little compensation for his trouble was the way his wife received the news.  He, unlucky man, had expected something little short of a virago’s talons, and a beldame’s curse; he had experienced on less occasions something of the sort before; but now that real affliction stood upon the hearth, Mary Acton’s character rose with the emergency, and she greeted her ruined husband with a kindness towards him, a solemn indignation against those who grind the poor, and a sober courage to confront evil, which he little had imagined.

“Bear up, Roger; here, goodman, take the child, and don’t look quite so downcast; come what may, I’ll share your cares, and you shall halve my pleasures; we will fight it out together.”

Moreover, cross, and fidgetty, and scolding, as Mary had been ever heretofore, to her meek step-daughter Grace, all at once, as if just to disappoint any preconcerted theory, now that actual calamity was come, she turned to be a kind good mother to her.  Roger and his daughter could scarcely believe their ears.

“Grace, dear, I know you’re a sensible good girl, try and cheer your father.”  And then the step-dame added,

“There now, just run up, fetch your prayer-book down, and read a little to us all to do us good.”—­The fair, affectionate girl, unused to the accents of kindness, could not forbear flinging her arms round Mary Acton’s neck, and loving her, as Ruth loved Naomi.

Then with a heavenly smile upon her face, and a happy heart within her to keep the smile alight, her gentle voice read these words—­it will do us good to read them too: