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〃Very　soon　grow　blase；　I　expect；〃　said　Charles　Osmond。　　〃The　essence　of　a　treat　is　rarity；　you　see。〃

〃I　suppose　it　is。　　But　I　think　I　could　enjoy　ever　so　many　things　for　years　and　years　without　growing　blase；〃　said　Erica。

〃Sometimes　I　like　just　to　fancy　what　life　might　be　if　there　were　no　tiresome　Christians；　and　bigots；　and　lawsuits。〃

Charles　Osmond　laughed　to　himself　in　the　dim　light；　the　remark　was　made　with　such　perfect　sincerity；　and　it　evidently　had　not　dawned　on　the　speaker　that　she　could　be　addressing　any　but　one　of　her　father's　followers。　　Yet　the　words　saddened　Him　too。　　He　just　caught　a　glimpse　through　them　of　life　viewed　from　a　directly　opposite　point。

〃Your　father　has　a　lawsuit　going　on　now；　has　he　not？〃　he　observed；　after　a　little　pause。

〃Oh；　yes；　there　is　almost　always　one　either　looming　in　the　distance　or　actually　going　on。　　I　don't　think　I　can　ever　remember　the　time　when　we　were　quite　free。　　It　must　feel　very　funny　to　have　no　worries　of　that　kind。　　I　think；　if　there　wasn't　always　this　great　load　of　debt　tied　round　our　necks；　like　a　millstone；　I　should　feel　almost　light　enough　to　fly。　　And　then　it　IS　hard　to　read　in　some　of　those　horrid　religious　papers　that　father　lives　an　easy…going　life。　　Did　you　see　a　dreadful　paragraph　last　week　in　the　'Church　Chronicle？'〃

〃Yes；　I　did；〃　said　Charles　Osmond；　sadly。

〃It　always　has　been　the　same；〃　said　Erica。　　〃Father　has　a　delightful　story　about　an　old　gentleman　who　at　one　of　his　lectures　accused　him　of　being　rich　and　self…indulgentit　was　a　great　many　years　ago；　when　I　was　a　baby；　and　father　was　nearly　killing　himself　with　overworkand　he　just　got　up　and　gave　the　people　the　whole　history　of　his　day；　and　it　turned　out　that　he　had　had　nothing　to　eat。　　Mustn't　the　old　gentleman　have　felt　delightfully　done？　　I　always　wonder　how　he　looked　when　he　heard　about　it；　and　whether　after　that　he　believed　that　atheists　are　not　necessarily　everything　that's　bad。〃

〃I　hope　such　days　as　those　are　over　for　Mr。　Raeburn；〃　said　Charles　Osmond；　touched　both　by　the　anecdote　and　by　the　loving　admiration　of　the　speaker。

〃I　don't　know；〃　said　Erica；　sadly。　　〃It　has　been　getting　steadily　worse　for　the　last　few　years；　we　have　had　to　give　up　thing　after　thing。　　Before　long　I　shouldn't　wonder　if　these　rooms　in　what　father　calls　〃Persecution　alley〃　grew　too　expensive　for　us。　　But；　after　all；　it　is　this　sort　of　thing　which　makes　our　own　people　love　him　so　much；　don't　you　think？〃

〃I　have　no　doubt　it　is；〃　said　Charles　Osmond；　thoughtfully。

And　then　for　a　minute　or　two　there　was　silence。　　Erica；　having　finished　her　toasting；　stirred　the　fire　into　a　blaze；　and　Charles　Osmond　sat　watching　the　fair；　childish　face　which　looked　lovelier　than　ever　in　the　soft　glow　of　the　fire　light。　　What　would　her　future　be；　he　wondered。　　She　seemed　too　delicate　and　sensitive　for　the　stormy　atmosphere　in　which　she　lived。　　Would　the　hard　life　embitter　her；　or　would　she　sink　under　it？　　But　there　was　a　certain　curve　of　resoluteness　about　her　well…formed　chin　which　was　sufficient　answer　to　the　second　question；　while　he　could　not　but　think　that　the　best　safeguard　against　the　danger　of　bitterness　lay　in　her　very　evident　love　and　loyalty　to　her　father。

Erica　in　the　meantime　sat　stroking　her　cat　Friskarina；　and　wondering　a　little　who　her　visitor　could　be。　　She　liked　him　very　much；　and　could　not　help　responding　to　the　bright　kindly　eyes　which　seemed　to　plead　for　confidence；　though　he　was　such　an　entire　stranger　she　found　herself　quite　naturally　opening　out　her　heart　to　him。

〃I　am　to　take　notes　at　my　father's　meeting　tonight；〃　she　said；　breaking　the　silence；　〃and　perhaps　write　the　account　of　it　afterward；　too；　and　there's　such　a　delightfully　funny　man　coming　to　speak　on　the　other　side。〃

〃Mr。　Randolph；　is　it　not？〃

〃Yes；　a　sort　of　male　Mrs。　Malaprop。　　Oh；　such　fun！〃　and　at　the　remembrance　of　some　past　encounter；　Erica's　eyes　positively　danced　with　laughter。　　But　the　next　minute　she　was　very　grave。

〃I　came　to　speak　to　Mr。　Raeburn　about　this　evening；〃　said　Charles　Osmond。　　〃Do　you　know　if　he　has　heard　of　a　rumor　that　this　Mr。　Randolph　has　hired　a　band　of　roughs　to　interrupt　the　meeting？〃

Erica　made　an　indignant　exclamation。

〃Perhaps　that　was　what　the　telegram　was　about；〃　she　continued；　after　a　moment's　thought。　　〃We　found　it　here　when　we　came　in。　　Father　said　nothing；　but　went　out　very　quickly　to　answer　it。　　Oh！　Now　we　shall　have　a　dreadful　time　of　it；　I　suppose；　and　perhaps　he'll　get　hurt　again。　　I　did　hope　they　had　given　up　that　sort　of　thing。〃

She　looked　so　troubled　that　Charles　Osmond　regretted　he　had　said　anything；　and　hastened　to　assure　her　that　what　he　had　heard　was　the　merest　rumor；　and　very　possibly　not　true。

〃I　am　afraid；〃　she　said；　〃it　is　too　bad　not　to　be　true。〃

It　struck　Charles　Osmond　that　that　was　about　the　saddest　little　sentence　he　had　ever　heard。

Partly　wishing　to　change　the　subject；　party　from　real　interest；　he　made　some　remark　about　a　lovely　little　picture；　the　only　one　in　the　room；　its　frame　was　lighted　up　by　the　flickering　blaze；　and　even　in　the　imperfect　light　he　could　see　that　the　subject　was　treated　in　no　ordinary　way。　　It　was　a　little　bit　of　the　Thames　far　away　from　London；　with　a　bank　of　many…tinted　trees　on　one　side；　and　out　beyond　a　range　of　low　hills；　purple　in　the　evening　light。　　In　the　sky　was　a　rosy　sunset　glow；　melted　above　into　saffron　color；　and　this　was　reflected　in　the　water；　gilding　and　mellowing　the　foreground　of　sedge　and　water　lilies。　　But　what　made　the　picture　specially　charming　was　that　the　artist　had　really　caught　the　peculiar　solemn　stillness　of　evening；　merely　to　look　at　that　quiet；　peaceful　river　brought　a　feeling　of　hush　and　calmness。　　It　seemed　a　strange　picture　to　find　as　the　sole　ornament　in　the　study　of　a　man　who　had　all　his　life　been　fighting　the　world。

Erica　brightened　up　again；　and　seemed　to　forget　her　anxiety　when　he　questioned　her　as　to　the　artist。

〃There　is　such　a　nice　story　about　that　picture；〃　she　said；　〃I　always　like　to　look　at　it。　　It　was　about　two　years　ago；　one　very　cold　winter's　day；　and　a　woman　came　with　some　oil　paintings　which　she　was　trying　to　sell　for　her　husband；　who　was　ill；　he　was　rather　a　good　artist；　but　had　been　in　bad　health　for　a　long　time；　till　at　last　she　had　really　come　to　hawking　about　his　pictures　in　this　way；　because　they　were　in　such　dreadful　distress。　　Father　was　very　much　worried　just　then；　there　was　a　horrid　libel　case　going　on；　and　that　morning　he　was　very　busy；　and　he　sent　the　woman　away　rather　sharply；　and　said　he　had　no　time　to　listen　to　her。　　Then　presently　he　was　vexed　with　himself　because　she　really　had　looked　in　great　trouble；　and　he　thought　he　had　been　harsh；　and；　though　he　was　dreadfully　pressed　for　time；　he　would　go　out　into　the　square　to　see　if　he　couldn't　find　her　again。　　I　went　with　him；　and　we　had　walked　all　round　and　had　almost　given　her　up；　when　we　caught　sight　of　her　coming　out　of　a　house　on　the　opposite　side。　　And　then　it　was　so　nice；　father　spoke　so　kindly　to　her；　and　found　out　more　about　her　history；　and　said　that　he　was　too　poor　to　buy　her　pictures；　but　she　looked　dreadfully　tired　and　cold；　so　he　asked　her　to　come　in　and　rest；　and　she　came　and　sat　by　the　fire；　and　stayed　to　dinner　with　us；　and　we　looked　at　her　pictures；　because　she　seemed　so　proud　of　them　and　liked　us　to。　　One　of　them　was　that　little　river　scene；　which　father　took　a　great　fancy　to；　and　praised　a　great　deal。　　She　left　us　her　address；　and　later　on；　when　the　libel　case　was　ended；　and　father　had　got　damages；　and　so　had　a　little　spare　money；　he　sent　some　to　this　poor　artist；　and　they　were　so　grateful；　though；　do　you　know；　I　think　the　dinner　pleased　them　more　than　the　money；　and　they　would　insist　on　sending　this　picture　to　father。　　I'll　light　the　gas；　and　then　you'll　see　it　better。〃

She　twisted　a　piece　of　paper　into　a　spill；　and　put　an　end　to　the　gloaming。　　Charles　Osmond　stood　up　to　get　a　nearer　view　of　the　painting；　and　Erica；　too；　drew　nearer；　and　looked　at　it　for　a　minute　in　silence。

〃Father　took　me　up　the　Thames　once；〃　she　said；　by　and　by。　　〃It　was　so　lovely。　　Some　day；　when　all　these　persecutions　are　over；　we　are　going　to　have　a　beautiful　tour；　and　see　all　sorts　of　places。　　But　I　don't　know　when　they　will　be　over。　　As　soon　as　one　bigot〃　she　broke　off　suddenly；　with　a　stifled　exclamation　of　dismay。

Charles　Osmond；　in　the　dim　light；　with　his　long　gray　beard；　had　not　betrayed　his　clerical　dress；　but；　glancing　round　at　him　now；　she　saw　at　once　that　the　stranger　to　whom　she　had　spoken　so　unreservedly　was　by　no　means　one　of　her　father's　followers。

〃Well！〃　he　said；　smiling；　half　understanding　her　confusion。

〃You　are　a　clergyman！〃　she　almost　gasped。

〃Yes；　why　not？〃

〃I　beg　your　pardon；　I　never　thoughtyou　seemed　so　much　too〃

〃Too　what？〃urged　Charles　Osmond。　　Then；　as　she　still　hesitated；　〃Now；　you　must　really　let　me　hear　the　end　of　that　sentence；　or　I　shall　imagine　everything　dreadful。〃

〃Too　nice；〃　murmured　Erica；　wishing　that　she　could　sink　through　the　floor。

But　the　confession　so　tickled　Charles　Osmond　that　he　laughed　aloud；　and　his　laughter　was　so　infectious　that　Erica；　in　spite　of　her　confusion；　could　not　help　joining　in　it。　　She　had　a　very　keen　sense　of　the　ludicrous；　and　the　position　was　undoubtedly　a　laughable　one；　still　there　were　certain　appalling　recollections　of　the　past　conversation　which　soon　made　her　serious　again。　　She　had　talked　of　persecutions　to　one　who　was；　at　any　rate；　on　the　side　of　persecutors；　had　alluded　to　bigots；　and；　worst　of　all；　had　spoken　in　no　measured　terms　of　〃tiresome　Christians。〃

She　turned；　rather　shyly；　and　yet　with　a　touch　of　dignity；　to　her　visitor；　and　said：

〃It　was　very　careless　of　me　not　to　notice　more；　but　it　was　dark；　and　I　am　not　used　to　seeing　any　but　our　own　people　here。　　I　am　afraid　I　said　things　which　must　have　hurt　you；　I　wish　you　had　stopped　me。〃

The　beautiful　color　had　spread　and　deepened　in　her　cheeks；　and　there　was　something　indescribably　sweet　and　considerate　in　her　tone　of　apology。　　Charles　Osmond　was　touched　by　it。

〃It　is　I　who　should　apologize；〃　he　said。　　〃I　am　not　at　all　sure　that　I　was　justified　in　sitting　there　quietly；　knowing　that　you　were　under　a　delusion；　but　it　is　always　very　delightful　to　me　in　this　artificial　world　t