Hawke had spoken. His simplicity and
obvious earnestness had impressed them even before he had alluded to
his special mission, but this clenched everything, and the words
"Lord, is it I?" were upon the hearts of each as they walked pensively
home through moonlit courts and cloisters.
I do not know what passed among the Simeonites after the Ernest
set had left them, but they would have been more than mortal if they
had not been a good deal elated with the results of the evening.
Why, one of Ernest's friends was in the University eleven, and he
had actually been in Badcock's rooms and had slunk off on saying
good-night as meekly as any of them. It was no small thing to have
scored a success like this.
CHAPTER L
ERNEST felt now that the turning point of his life had come. He
would give up all for Christ-even his tobacco.
So he gathered together his pipes and pouches, and locked them up in
his portmanteau under his bed where they should be out of sight, and
as much out of mind as possible. He did not burn them, because someone
might come in who wanted to smoke, and though he might abridge his own
liberty, yet, as smoking was not a sin, there was no reason why he
should be hard on other people.
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