ster Day sermon to a congregation that have both a moral and a
legal right to demand from me an implicit belief in the material
miracle!'

'Yes,' said the other gravely--'yes, I believe you are right. It can't
be said the Broad Church movement has helped us much! How greatly it
promised!--how little it has performed! For the private person, the
worshipper, it is different--or I think so. No man pries into our
prayers; and to cut ourselves off from common worship is to lose that
fellowship which is in itself a witness and vehicle of God.'

But his tone had grown hesitating, and touched with melancholy.

There was a moment's silence. Then Robert walked up to him again.

'At the same time,' he said falteringly, standing before the elder man,
as he might have stood as an undergraduate, 'let me not be rash! If you
think this change has been too rapid to last--if you, knowing me better
than at this moment I can know myself--if you bid me wait a while,
before I take any overt step, I will wait--oh, God knows I will
wait!--my wife----' and his husky voice failed him utterly.

'Your wife!' cried Mr. Grey, startled. 'Mrs. Elsmere does not know?'

'My wife knows nothing, or almost nothing--and it will break her heart!'

He moved hastily away again, and stood with his back to his friend, his
tall narrow form outlined against the window. Mr. Grey was left in
dismay, rapidly turning over the impressions of Catherine left on him by
his last year's sight of her. That pale distinguished woman with her
look of strength and character,--he remembered Langham's analysis of
her, and of the silent religious intensity she had brought with her from
her training among the northern hills.

Was there a bitterly human tragedy preparing under all this
thought-drama he had been listening to?

Deeply moved, he went up to Robert, and laid his rugged hand almost
timidly upon him.

'Elsmere, it won't break her heart! You are a good man. She is a good
woman.' What an infinity of meaning there was in the simple words! 'Take
courage. Tell her at once--tell her everything--and let _her_ decide
whether there shall be any waiting. I cannot help you there; she can;
she will probably understand you better than you understand yourself.'

He tightened his grasp, and gently pushed his guest into a chair beside
him. Robert was deadly pale, his face quivering painfully. The long
physical strain of the past months had weakened for the moment all the
contro