time, their brave countrymen were able to set them free.

Most of the Vaudois took refuge in one or other of the Protestant cantons of Switzerland, and our little party of friends were soon settled in Geneva, earning an honest livelihood by their energy and industry.

Vincent Arnaud went to Basle, to study theology, before his ordination as pastor, and Madeleine became the head of her father's house, while he and Martin worked in the fields.

But although the persecuted people found a peaceful home in Geneva, their one great, overwhelming desire was to return to the home of their forefathers. They clung to their native valleys as the banished Israelites to the land of Canaan. Janavel, their great captain, was settled in Geneva, and many secret meetings were held in his house, to discuss plans for effecting a return, as soon as the enemy were off their guard. But the

never-failing goodness and energy of Henri Arnaud did more than anything else to encourage the exiles in their banishment. He was the very life and spirit of the little flock, holding constant services, gathering the stragglers together for the celebration of Holy Communion, preaching with an earnestness that seemed to put fresh strength into his hearers. He would encourage them by bidding them take for themselves beautiful words such as those we read in our lessons for this third Sunday in Advent: "Thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall. He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of His people shall He take away from off all the earth for the Lord hath spoken it. And it shall be said in that day, Lo,

this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us. Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength. . . . Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. For, behold, the Lord cometh out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain." *

Arnaud seemed to have the firmest conviction that one day all would be righted for the suffering people, and he himself took long journeys to foreign lands, to interest other nations in the wrongs and misfortunes of the Vaudois, returning with fresh encouragement to ais people.

After two fruitless and premature attempts had been made to regain their * Isaiah xxv., xxvi.

native land, he gathered all together and preached a fervid, eloquent sermon on the text, "Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." The results of this sermon will be seen in the next chapter; but meanwhile we may take Henri Arnaud as an undying example of a faithful steward of the mysteries of God, remembering always that not only to the ministers of the Church does God give work to be faithfully performed, but that each one of us, old or young, rich or poor, will one day have to give an account of our stewardship, and that "it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful."

CHAPTER IV.

THE GLORIOUS RETURN.

"O Lord, raise up (we pray Thee) Thy power, and come among us, and with great might succour us; that whereas, through our sins and wickedness, we are sore let and hindered in running the race that is set before us, Thy bountiful grace and mercy may speedily help and deliver us; through the satisfaction of Thy Son our Lord, to Whom with Thee and the Holy Ghost be honour and glory, world without end. Amen."—Collect for the Fourth Sunday in Advent.

"In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength." -ISAIAH XXX. 15.

S

TRANGE

scenes were taking

place in the forest of Nyon, on the shore of the Lake of Geneva,

in the evening of Friday, the 16th of August, 1689. Bands of men, dressed