nge illogical
way of believing. The Christianity of Christ she could accept. It was a
faith of the heart and the life. But its crystallised forms and dogmas
proved a stumbling-block to this embarrassing slip of a Hindu girl, who
calmly reminded the Reverend Jeffrey Sale that the creed of his Church
had not really been inspired by Christ, but dictated by Constantine and
the Council of Nicea; who wanted to know why, in so great a religion,
was there no true worship of woman--no recognising, in the creative
principle, the Divine Motherhood of God? Finally, she had scandalised
them both by quarrelling with their exclusive belief in one single
instance, through endless ages, of the All-embracing, and All-creating
revealed in terms of human life. Was not that same idea a part of her
own religion--a world-wide doctrine of Indo-Aryan origin? Was every
other revealing false, except that one made to an unbelieving race only
two thousand years ago? To her--unregenerate but not unbelieving--the
message of Krishna seemed to strike a deeper note of promise. "Wherever
irreligion prevails and true religion declines, there I manifest myself
in a human form to establish righteousness and to destroy evil."

So she questioned and argued, in no spirit of irreverence, but simply
with the logic of her race, and the sweet reasonableness that is a vital
element of the Hindu faith at its best. But, after that final
confession, Aunt Julia, pained and bewildered, had retired from the
field. And Lilamani, flung back on the God within, had evolved a private
creed of her own;--shedding the husks of Christian dogmas and the
grosser superstitions of her own faith, and weaving together the
mystical elements that are the life-blood of all religious beliefs.

For the lamps are many, but the flame is one....

* * * * *

Not till the consummation of motherhood had lifted her status--in her
own eyes at least--did she venture to speak intimately with Nevil on
this vital matter. Though debarred from sharing of sacred ceremonies,
she could still aspire to be true _Sahardamini_--'spiritual helpmate.'
But to that end he also must co-operate; he must feel the deeper
need....

For many weeks after the coming of Roy she had hesitated, before she
found courage to adventure farther into the misty region of his faith
or unfaith, in things not seen.

"If I am bothering you with troublesome questions--forgive. But, in our
Indian way