“O, I’ve been up in Tom’s room, hearing him sing, and Aunt Dinah gave me my dinner.”

“Hearing Tom sing, hey?”

“O, yes! he sings such beautiful things about the New Jerusalem, and bright angels, and the land of Canaan.”

“I dare say; it’s better than the opera, isn’t it?”

“Yes, and he’s going to teach them to me.”

“Singing lessons, hey?—­you are coming on.”

“Yes, he sings for me, and I read to him in my Bible; and he explains what it means, you know.”

“On my word,” said Marie, laughing, “that is the latest joke of the season.”

“Tom isn’t a bad hand, now, at explaining Scripture, I’ll dare swear,” said St. Clare.  “Tom has a natural genius for religion.  I wanted the horses out early, this morning, and I stole up to Tom’s cubiculum there, over the stables, and there I heard him holding a meeting by himself; and, in fact, I haven’t heard anything quite so savory as Tom’s prayer, this some time.  He put in for me, with a zeal that was quite apostolic.”

“Perhaps he guessed you were listening.  I’ve heard of that trick before.”

“If he did, he wasn’t very polite; for he gave the Lord his opinion of me, pretty freely.  Tom seemed to think there was decidedly room for improvement in me, and seemed very earnest that I should be converted.”

“I hope you’ll lay it to heart,” said Miss Ophelia.

“I suppose you are much of the same opinion,” said St. Clare.  “Well, we shall see,—­shan’t we, Eva?”

CHAPTER XVII

The Freeman’s Defence

There was a gentle bustle at the Quaker house, as the afternoon drew to a close.  Rachel Halliday moved quietly to and fro, collecting from her household stores such needments as could be arranged in the smallest compass, for the wanderers who were to go forth that night.  The afternoon shadows stretched eastward, and the round red sun stood thoughtfully on the horizon, and his beams shone yellow and calm into the little bed-room where George and his wife were sitting.  He was sitting with his child on his knee, and his wife’s hand in his.  Both looked thoughtful and serious and traces of tears were on their cheeks.

“Yes, Eliza,” said George, “I know all you say is true.  You are a good child,—­a great deal better than I am; and I will try to do as you say.  I’ll try to act worthy of a free man.  I’ll try to feel like a Christian.  God Almighty knows that I’ve meant to do well,—­tried hard to do well,—­when everything has been against me; and now I’ll forget all the past, and put away every hard and bitter feeling, and read my Bible, and learn to be a good man.”

“And when we get to Canada,” said Eliza, “I can help you.  I can do dress-making very well; and I understand fine washing and ironing; and between us we can find something to live on.”