s of comfort, or to leave him alone to fight out the
inevitable battle.

"Why did I do it? Why did I consent?" he suddenly broke out. "Why
did I listen to the voice of the charmer? Would it have been so
hard to die? Will it not be harder to live with the stain of this
sin upon my soul?"

"'The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin,'"
spoke Freda very softly.

"And I have denied my Lord--in deed, if not in word," and he
groaned aloud.

"It was an act of submission and obedience," spoke Freda, using the
arguments familiar to her. "Nor did you yourself cast upon the fire
the precious Word of God; you did not deny your faith. You
affirmed--so they say--your assent to the doctrines of Holy Church,
and did penance for past disobedience. Is that a matter to grieve
so greatly over?"

She spoke very gently, yet not as though her heart went altogether
with her words. Anthony raised his head and broke out into vehement
speech, which she welcomed gladly after the long silence of utter
depression.

"They made it easy for us. They sought to win us by gentle methods.
They knew that the most of us loved Holy Church, and were loath
indeed to be divorced from her communion. They did not bid us in so
many words to deny those things which we have held--the right of
every man to hold in his hand the Word of God, and to read and
study it for himself; but they made us perform an act which in the
eyes of the world will be taken to mean as much--to mean that we
acknowledge the sinfulness of circulating that precious, living
Word, and are ready to cast it into the flames like an unholy and
corrupt thing.

"And I consented. I let them persuade me. I let mine eyes be
blinded. And now, whither shall I go? I have denied my Lord. I have
sinned in His sight. I have not taken up my cross and followed Him.
I have sought to save my life, and yet I had thought myself ready
to follow Hun to the cross and the grave."

"Like Peter," spoke Freda softly. "Yet the Lord looked upon him
with tender love; and He forgave him freely and fully, and gave him
special charge to strengthen the brethren, to feed the sheep and
the lambs. The Lord wore our mortal flesh. He knows that it is
weak. He understands all. Be not too much cast down, my Anthony.
Perchance in the past thou didst too much trust in thine own
strength. In the days to come let us look ever more and more to the
Lord Himself. He will first forgive, and then confirm His streng