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Rose　was　even　more　perplexing。　　She　was　not　only　ignorant；　but　she　boasted　of　her　ignorance。　　Again　and　again　Erica　heard　her　deprecate　the　introduction　of　any　public　question。

〃Oh；　don't　begin　to　talk　of　that！〃　she　would　exclaim。　　〃I　know　nothing　about　it；　and　never　mean　to　know　anything。〃

Or　there　would　be　an　imploring　appeal。

〃Why　do　you　waste　your　time　in　talking　politics　when　you　have　never　told　me　a　word　about　so…and…so's　wedding？〃

She　occasionally　read　the　〃Court　Circular；〃　and　was　rather　fond　of　one　or　two　of　the　〃society〃　papers　from　which　she　used　to　glean　choice　little　paragraphs　of　personal　gossip。

Once　one　of　these　papers　gave　Erica　an　uncomfortable　experience。　The　elders　of　the　party　being　out　for　the　evening；　Rose　and　Erica　had　the　drawing　room　to　themselves；　and　Erica　was　really　enjoying　the　rare　novelty　of　talking　with　a　girl　of　her　own　age。　　Rose；　although　the　most　arrant　little　flirt；　was　fond；　too；　of　her　girl　friends；　and　she　really　liked　Erica；　and　enjoyed　the　fun　of　initiating　her　into　all　the　mysteries　and　delights　of　society。

〃How　did　you　get　your　name？〃　she　asked；　suddenly。　　〃It　is　so　pretty　and　so　uncommon。〃

〃Oh；〃　said　Erica；　without　thinking；　〃I　was　called　after　my　father's　friend；　Eric　Haeberlein。〃

〃Eric　Haeberlein？〃　exclaimed　Rose。　　〃Why；　I　was　reading　something　about　him　this　afternoon。　　Here　it　is　look！〃　　And　after　searching　the　columns　of　her　favorite　〃society〃　paper；　she　pointed　to　the　following　paragraph：

〃It　is　now　known　as　a　positive　fact　that　the　notorious　Eric　Haeberlein　was　actually　in　London　last　week　in　connection　with　the　disgraceful　Kellner　business。　　ON　DIT　that　he　escaped　detection　through　the　instrumentality　of　one　of　the　fair　sex；　whose　audacity　outweighed　her　modesty。〃

Erica　could　hardly　have　restrained　her　indignation　had　not　two　real　dangers　drawn　off　her　attention　from　her　own　wounded　feelings。　　Her　father　was　there　any　hateful　hint　that　he　was　mixed　up　with　Herr　Kellner？　　She　glanced　anxiously　down　the　page。　　No；　at　least　that　falsehood　had　not　been　promulgated。　　She　breathed　more　freely；　but　there　was　danger　still；　for　Rose　was　watching　her；　and　feminine　curiosity　is　hard　to　baffle。

〃Did　you　know　about　it？〃　she　asked。

Erica　did　not　reply　for　a　moment；　but　read　on；　to　gain　time；　then　she　threw　down　the　paper　with　an　exclamation　of　disgust。

〃How　can　you　read　such　stuff？〃

〃Yes；　but　is　that　the　Eric　Haeberlein　you　were　named　after？　　Did　he　really　come　to　London　and　escape？〃

〃There　is　only　one　Eric　Haeberlein　in　the　world　that　I　know　of；〃　said　Erica。　　〃But　I　think；　Rose；　I　was　wrong　and　foolish　to　mention　him。　　I　can't　tell　you　anything　about　him；　and；　even　if　I　could；　there　is　my　promise　to　Aunt　Isabel。　　If　I　am　not　to　talk　to　you　about　my　father；　I　certainly　ought　not　to　talk　about　his　friends。〃

Rose　acquiesced；　and　never　suspected　any　mystery。　　She　chatted　on　happily　for　the　rest　of　the　evening；　brought　down　a　great　collection　of　old　ball…cards；　and　with　a　sort　of　loving　recollection　described　each　very　minutely；　just　as　some　old　nurses　have　a　way　of　doing　with　the　funeral　cards　of　their　deceased　friends。　　This　paved　the　way　for　a　spontaneous　confession　that　she　really　preferred　Mr。　Torn；　the　curate　of　St。　Matthew's；　to　Captain　Golightly；　though　people　were　so　stupid；　and　would　say　she　was　in　love　with　him　just　because　they　flirted　a　little　sometimes。　　Rose　had　already　imagined　herself　in　love　with　at　least　a　dozen　people；　and　was　quite　ready　to　discuss　every　one　of　her　flirtations；　but　she　was　disappointed　to　find　that　her　cousin　was　either　very　reserved　on　the　subject；　or　else　had　nothing　to　say。

Erica　sat　listening　with　a　sort　of　wonder；　not　unmixed　with　disgust。　　Perhaps　she　might　have　shown　her　disapprobation　had　she　not　been　thankful　to　have　the　conversation　diverted　from　the　dangerous　topic；　besides；　the　cruel　words　were　still　rankling　in　her　heart；　and　woven　in　with　Rose's　chatter　she　heard　continually；　〃whose　audacity　outweighed　her　modesty。〃　　For　the　first　time　she　fully　understood　why　her　father　had　so　reluctantly　consented　to　her　scheme；　she　began　to　feel　the　sting　which　lay　beneath　the　words；　the　veiled　〃hints；〃　the　implied　evil；　more　wounding；　more　damaging　than　an　outspoke　lie。　　Now　that　she　understood　the　ways　of　society　better；　she　saw；　too；　that　what　had　seemed　to　her　an　unquestionable　duty　would　be　regarded　as　a　grave　breach　of　custom　and　etiquette。　　She　began　to　question　herself。　　Had　she　been　right？　　It　mattered　very　little　what　the　writer　of　a　〃society〃　paper　said　of　her；　if　she　had　done　the　really　right　thing。　　What　had　she　done？　　To　save　her　father's　friend　from　danger；　to　save　her　father　from　unmerited　suspicion；　she　had　gone　out　late　in　the　evening　with　a　man　considerably　over　fifty；　whom　she　had　known　from　her　babyhood。　　He　had；　it　is　true；　been　in　the　disguise　of　a　young　man。　　She　had　talked　to　him　on　the　platform　much　as　she　would　have　talked　to　Tom；　and　to　save　his　almost　certain　detection；　had　sprung　into　the　carriage；　thrown　her　arms　round　his　neck；　and　kissed　him。　　HAD　audacity　outweighed　her　modesty？　　Why；　all　the　time　she　had　been　thanking　God　for　having　allowed　her　to　undertake　the　difficult　task　for　her　father　on　that　particular　evening。　　She　had　done　it　in　the　sight　of　God；　and　should　she　now　make　herself　miserable　because　the　world　was　wanting　in　that　charity　which　〃thinketh　no　evil？〃　　No；　she　had　been　right　of　that　she　was　certain。　　Nevertheless；　she　understood　well　enough　that　society　would　condemn　her　action；　and　would　with　a　smile　condone　Rose's　most　outrageous　flirtation。

The　first　week　in　a　new　place　always　seems　long；　and　Erica　felt　as　if　she　had　been　away　from　home　for　months　by　the　time　it　was　over。　　Every　one　had　been　very　kind　to　her　so　far；　but　except　when　she　was　playing　lawn…tennis　she　was　somehow　far　from　happy。；　Her　happiest　moments　were　really　those　which　she　spent　in　her　own　room　before　breakfast；　writing；　and　the　〃Daily　Review〃　owed　some　very　lively　articles　to　the　Greyshot　visit。　　Beyond　a　sort　of　clan　feeling　for　her　aunt；　and　a　real　liking　for　Rose　who；　in　spite　of　her　follies；　was　good…humored　and　very　lovable　she　had　not　yet　found　one　point　of　union　with　her　new　relations。　　Even　possible　topics　of　conversation　were　hard　to　find。　　They　cared　nothing　for　politics；　they　cared　nothing　for　science；　they　were　none　of　them　book　lovers；　and　it　was　against　their　sense　of　etiquette　to　speak　of　anything　but　the　externals　of　religion。　　Worst　of　all；　any　allusion　to　home　matters；　any　mention　of　her　father　had　to　be　avoided。　　Little　was　left　but　the　mere　gossip　of　the　neighborhood；　which；　except　as　a　social　study；　could　not　interest　Erica。

Greyshot　was　an　idle　place；　the　church　seemed　asleep；　a　drowsy　indifference　hung　about　the　richer　inhabitants；　while　the　honest　workers　not　unnaturally　banded　themself　together　against　the　sleepily　respectable　church…goers；　and　secularism　and　one　or　two　other　〃isms〃　made　rapid　advances。　　Then　sleepy　orthodoxy　lifted　its　drowsy　head　for　a　minute；　noted　the　evil；　and　abused　Mr。　Raeburn　and　his　fellow　workers；　lamenting　in　many…syllable　words　the　depravity　of　the　working　classes　and　the　rapid　spread　of　infidelity。　　But　nothing　came　of　the　lament；　it　never　seemed　to　strike　them　that　they　must　act　as　well　as　talk；　that　they　must　renounce　their　useless；　wasteful；　un…Christian　lives　before　they　had　even　a　right　to　lift　up　their　voices　against　secularism；　which　certainly　did　in　some　measure　meet　the　needs　of　the　people。　　It　never　seemed　to　strike　them　that　THEY　were　the　real　promoters　of　infidelity　that　they　not　only　dishonored　the　name　of　Christ；　but　by　their　inconsistent　lives　disgusted　people　with　Christianity；　and　then　refused　to　have　anything　more　to　do　with　them。　　Luke　Raeburn；　if　he　pulled　down　with　the　one　hand；　at　any　rate；　tried　hard　to　build　up　with　the　other；　but　the　people　of　Greyshot　caused　in　a　great　degree　the　ruin　and　down　fall；　and　then　exclaimed；　〃How　shocking！〃　and　turned　their　backs；　thinking　to　shift　their　blame　on　to　the　secularist　leaders。

As　far　as　society　goes；　they　succeeded　in　thus　shifting　the　blame；　the　world　laid　it　all　on　Luke　Raeburn；　he　was　a　most　convenient　scapegoat；　and　so　widely　does　conventional　Christianity　differ　from　the　religion　founded　by　Christ　it　soon　became　among　a　certain　set　almost　equivalent　to　a　religious　act　to　promulgate　bits　of　personal　scandal　about　him；　flavored；　of　course；　with　wordy　lamentations　as　to　the　views　he　entertained。　　Thus；　under　the　name　of　defenders　of　religion；　conventional　Christians　managed　to　appear　very　proper　and　orthodox；　and　at　the　same　time　to　dispose　comfortably　of　all　their　sense　of　responsibility。　　There　was　a　meanness　about　their　way　of　doing　it　which　might　have　made　the　very　angels　weep！　　Happily　the　judgments　of　society　are　not　the　judgments　of　God。

One　of　the　leaders　of　society　was　a　certain　Lady　Caroline　Kiteley；　she　was　a　good…natured；　hospitable　creature；　very　anxious　that　every　one　should　enjoy　life；　and　a　great　favorite　with　all　the　young　people；　because　she　made　much　of　them　and　gave　delightful　dances。　　The　elders；　too；　liked　her；　and　were　not　oblivious　to　the　fact　that　she　was　the　daughter　of　an　earl；　and　the　widow　of　a　distinguished　general。　　Erica　had　seen　her　more　than　once　during　her　visit；　and　had　been　introduced　to　her　by　Mrs。　Fane…Smith；　as　〃my　niece。〃

Now　it　happened　that　Mr。　And　Mrs。　Fane…Smith　and　Rose　were　to　dine　with　Lady　Caroline　the　week　after　Erica's　arrival。　　On　the　very　day　of　the　dinner　party；　however；　Rose　was　laid　up　with　a　bad　cold；　and　her　mother　was　obliged　to　write　and　make　her　excuses。　　Late　in　the　afternoon　there　came　in　reply　one　of　Lady　Caroline's　impulsive　notes。

〃Dear　Mrs。　Fane…Smith；　　Scold　that　silly　daughter　of　yours　for　catching　cold；　give　her　my　love；　and　tell　her　that　I　was　counting　on　her　very　much。　　Please　bring　your　pretty　niece　instead。　　Yours　sincerely；　Caroline　Kiteley。〃

Mrs。　Fane…Smith　was　glad　and　sorry　at　the　same　time；　and　very　much　perplexed。　　Such　a　peremptory　but　open…hearted　invitation　could　not　be　declined；　yet　there　were　dangers　in　the　acceptance。　　If　Erica's　name　should　transpire；　it　might　be　very　awkward；　but　she　had　not　broached　the　suggested　change　of　name　to　her；　and　every　day　her　courage　dwindl