Father Stafford

eat, and Sir Rod

estions as open, and all to be referred to the verdict of the balance of expediency. Among other lessons, he had been taught a deep distrust of the instrument by which he was forced to guide his actions. But no training had succeeded in eradicating a strong mind's instinct of self-confidence, and if up till now he had committed no rebellion, it was because his reason had been rather a voluntary and eager helper than a captive or slave to the tribunal he distinguished from it by the name of conscience. With some surprise at himself-a surprise that now took

stay, the visitor returned to the world if he would; if he were finally disabled he was passed on to a permanent residence of another kind. The Retreat was a temporary refuge only. Sometimes it was full, sometimes it was empty; save for the Superintendent, as he was called; for religious terms were avoided, and a severe neutrality of description forbade the possibility of the Retreat itself seeming to take any side in the various mental battles for which it afforded a clear field, remote from interruption and from the bias alike of the world and of previous religious prepossessions. A man was entirely left to himself at the Retreat. Save at the dinner hour, no one spoke to him except the Superintendent. The rule of his office was that he should always be ready to listen on all subjects, and to talk on all indifferent subjects. Advice and exhortation were forbidden to him. If a man wanted the ordinary consolations of religion, his case was not the special case the Retreat was founded to meet. When nobody c

prize that the disciples would have lost through their overgreat meddling. The Founder would have repudiated the id

h appears to be held in great tranquillity by many who see the absurdity of parallel ideas applied in other spheres, was one of the fictions that proved entirely powerless over his mind at this juncture. He did not say to himself that fools were fools and blind men blind, whatever their o

by the Superintendent with the grave welcome and studious absence of questioning that was the rule of the house. The Superintendent was an elderly man, inclining to stoutness and of unyielding placidi

, with a sigh. Poor man! perhaps it w

d, with a smile, half in earnest, ha

, made Stafford at home in the bare little room that was to serve him for sleeping and living. Stafford was full of

ecause its dazzling incitements were no longer actually before his eyes? He had refused all aid and all alliance. He had chosen to try the issue alone and unbefriended. Was he strong enough?-strong enough to think on his love, and yet not to bow to it?-strong enough to picture to himself all its charms, only to refuse to gather them? Should he not have seized

and with it that small fraction of it whose moveme

technical term-and of several catches missed by Sir Roderick, who was tried in vain in all positions in the field, the Manor team won by five wickets, and Bob Territon felt that his summer had been well spent. Ayre lingered on with Eugene, shooting the coverts till mid Septem

from it by the sudden discovery that he had a mission. This revelation dawned upon him in consequence of a note he received from Lord Rickmansworth. It appeared that that nobleman had very soon got tired of his moor, had resigned it into the eager hands of Bob Territon, and was now at Baden-Baden. This was certainly odd, and the writer evidently knew it would

with them, but it's beastly slow. Haddington is all day in Kate's pocket, and Kate at best isn't amusing. But what's Lane

very definite conclusion that Kate Bernard ought not to marry Eugene Lane. He was also sure that unless something was done the marriage would ta

elf. "I couldn't catch the parson, but if

he could, for a considerable friendship existed between them. Morewood, ho

antly, as he received his friend on the platform, and conducted him

used at things not intrinsically humorous, and manners that he had tried, fortunately with imperfect success,

nt at all," he said, "I came

l pleasantly; "do you t

ere a little mixed; and, anyhow, it was not at the mome

ng some money seemed to her, as it does to most people, a reason for her marrying somebody who had more, instead of aiding in the beneficent work of a more equal distribution of wealth. But Kate was undeniably willful. She treated her engagement, indeed, as an absolutely binding and unbreakable tie-a fact so conclusively accomplished that it could almost be ignored. But she received any suggestion of a possible excess in her

sions into the outskirts of the forest, of numberless walks in the shady paths, of an expedition to the races (where perfect solitude can always be obtained), and of many other diversions which Kate and H

oncluded, "but she takes no no

said Ayre; "a

peak to Mr.

ould very likely expose him to a snub, and he had n

position. I'm not her father, or

ht influ

dear lady, it isn't as if Kate couldn't take care of herself. Sh

sadly admi

ep an eye on them, and act as I t

n him an emissary of Eugene. Sir Roderick tactfully disabused her mind of this notion, and, without intruding himself, he managed to be with them a good deal, and with Haddington alone a good deal more. Moreover, even when absent, he could generally have given a shrewd guess wh

was indebted to Rickmansworth's parties for many opportunities of observation. He was sure Haddington meant to marry Kate if he could; the scruples which had in some degree restrained his actions, though not his designs, at Millstead, had vanished, and he was pushing his suit, firmly and daringly ignoring the fact of the engagement. Kate did nothing to remind him of it that Ayre could see, bu

gible than that. He did not, indeed, look for anything that would compel Eugene to act; he had no expectation and, to do him justice, no hope of that, for he knew Eugene would act on nothing but an extreme necessity. His hope lay in Kate herself. On her he was prepared to have

ively one morning, as he crossed one of the little bridges, and to

ces. One of his team was lame, and a great friend of his was sulky and had sent him away, and yet he sat radiantly cheerful, with a large cigar in his

ave you seen Ha

d with Kate Bernard to play

h Ka

expect anythin

d Ayre, with a face of great innocence,

unless she chucks

e, do yo

money on that they're never married,

uc

twopence-halfpe

lp me, and you couldn't have if you had anything

o prevent one's self getting married, without troubling about o

dn't suit

im the devi

't care

a s

don't she b

. "Never heard of such a thing as money in the case, did

fatiguing, Rick, if you

ot here-penalty one mark-see regulations. You must go outside, if you want

amuse me. I do not belon

his companion blandly,

ow," he said, in reporting the episod

on and stir him up; tell him to bustle along; tell him Ka

s not my

ed in my day; but I'll tell you why. It's because she's keeping him

t so remarkably strict, you know

said Ayre smiling. "Tell him

ticket. But what

t out, I'm done," said

knows!" said Lor

nk you won'

all give her a chaste salute before the day's out. Old Euge

than love for Eugene: perhaps family feelings, generally dormant,

ghten him, he'l

nk I might

Besides, you know you wouldn't do

answorth. "Give me my prayer-book an

ied in this saying, and saw his friend off on hi

at date Sir Roderick has always declared that Rick is not such a fool as he looks. Certainly the envoy was well p

orthy old frien

he

o fool. He saw Kate's ga

stand u

to hold a pisto

what she

ookout. I've d

distance. But surely some power was fighting for him, for before he had gone a hundred yards he saw on one of the seats in front of him two persons whom the light of the moon clearly displayed as Kate and Haddington. At Baden there is a little hillside-one path runs at the bottom, another runs along the side of the hill, halfway up. Ayre hastily diverted his steps into the

ient than most men,"

in that way," Kate protested

e not got bey

said Sir Roder

re is a point at which you must fa

rd and peered th

break my e

is no

p it. I have

w Lane; you know what he i

very u

ke you throw aw

you be

you a

I d

deny it. Now yo

to his vast disgust, was unable to overhear it. The nex

three months. If nothing happen

floated up to t

to break it off rather th

her morality," reflecte

one another? secretly, i

id it's v

iberately in

; but after a pause there came a

excitement. "Confound these t

e your prom

s. But I must go in.

let him win

dly; but I don't want

d risen

a lot of me,"

d you loved me. Can't

ate, you are sincere with

but now Haddington stopped, and laying his hand on Kate

, with commendable confusion

t fool off again! We're no further forward than we were. If he makes trouble about this she'll deny the whole thing. Miss Bernard is a lady of talent. But-no, can I? Yes, I will. Rather than let her