n may well
tremble before that kind of vision, for it is her own, empowered with a
man's understanding----"

"Why, Beth, that's Bedient's mind exactly!" Cairns exclaimed. "A
woman's vision of the finest sort, empowered with a man's
understanding----"

"Of the finest sort," Beth finished laughingly. "By the way, that's a
good definition of a prophet, isn't it?"

"It does work out," he said, thinking hard.

Beth observed with interest at this point, that Bedient had confined
his discussion of the visioning feminine principle to Vina. There were
several approaches to his elevation.

"How glorious it is to see things, David!" she exclaimed happily. "Even
to see things after they are pointed out. And you--I'm really so glad
about you! You're coming along so finely, and putting away boyish
things."

She reached across the table and dropped her hand upon his sleeve.

"It's so tonic and bracing to watch one's friend burst into bloom!... I
needed the stimulus, too. You are helping me."

It was Cairns' turn to shade his eyes for a clearer view of the night.

SIXTEENTH CHAPTER

"THROUGH DESIRE FOR HER"

David Cairns left Beth at her elevator, and walked down the Avenue
toward Gramercy. It was still an hour from midnight. As he had hoped,
Bedient was at the Club. The library was deserted, and they sat down in
the big chairs by the open window. The only lights in the large room
were those on the reading table. The quiet was actually interesting for
down-town New York.

"I've been out hunting up music," Bedient said. "There is a place
called the _Columbine_ where you eat and drink; and a little Hungarian
violinist there with his daughter--surely they can't know how great
they are! He played the _Kreutzer Sonata_, the daughter accompanying as
if it were all in the piano, and she just let it out for fun, and then
they played it again for me--"

Cairns laughed at his joy. Bedient suddenly leaned forward and regarded
him intently through the vague light. "David," he said, "you're looking
fit and happy, and I'm very glad to see you." This was a way of
Bedient's at unexpected moments.... "Do you know, it's a marvellous
life you live," he went on, "looking inward upon the great universe of
ideas constantly, balancing thought against thought, seeking the best
vehicle, and weighing the effects--for or against the Ultimate
Good----"

"It appears that you had to come up here--to show me----"

"It's good of you to say