PASI

PRESENT.

477

it was the right and proper thing to do. Not a doubt entered my
mind that all the angels were grouped together, discussing this boy's
case and observing the awful bombardment of our beggarly little
village with satisfaction and approval There was one thing which
disturbed me in the most serious way; that was th* thought that
this centreing of the celestial interest on our village could not fail to
attract the attention of the observers to people among us who might
otherwise have escaped notice for years. I felt that I was not only
one of those people, but the very one most likely to be discovered.
That discovery could
have but one result:
I should be in the fire
with L3ra before the
chill of the river had
been fairly warmed
out of him. I knew
that this would be
only just and fair. I
was increasing the
chances against my-
self all the time, by
feeling a secret bitter-
ness against Lein for
having attracted this
fatal attention to me,
but I could not help it
—this sinful thought
persisted in infesting

my breast in spite of me. Every time the lightning glared I caught my
breath, and judged I was gone. In my terror and misery, I meanly
began to suggest otiher boys, and mention acts of theirs which were
wickeder than mine, and peculiarly needed punishment—and I tried to
pretend to myself that I was simply doing this in a casual way, and with-
out intent to divert the heavenly attention to them for the purpose oC
getting rid of it myself. With deep sagacity I put these mentions
into the form of sorrowing recollections and Wfc-bandfid skam-stippli-
cations that the pi-pa of those boys might be allowed to pass unnoticed