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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