s, a division cleft by the
remembrance of the time when one had commanded and the other obeyed.
There were other elements here--for one the element of an old affection
that had once been at the very root of the boy's soul and was now in
the strangest way creeping back to him, as an old familiar, but
forgotten form might creep out of the dark and sit at his feet and
clasp his knees.

"Well," said John Warlock. "That's very pleasant. You must feel very
grateful to your aunt Rachel, Martin; she's given you the opportunity
of doing what you like with your life. She spoke to me about it before
she died."

"She spoke to you about it?"

"Yes. She told me that she did it because she wanted to bring you back
to me. She knew of my love for you. We often talked of you together.
She was a faithful servant of God. She believed that God meant to bring
you, through her, back into His arms."

"I might not have come," Martin said with a sudden anger that surprised
himself. "She made no conditions. I might have gone on with my life
there abroad. I am free to lead my own life where and how I please."

"Quite free." His father answered gently. "But she knew that you would
come. Of course you are your own master, Martin--"

"No, but it must be quite clear," Martin cried, the excitement rising
in him as he spoke. He leaned forward almost touching his father's
chair. "I'm not bound to any one by this money. It was awfully jolly of
Aunt Rachel. I'll never forget her--but I'm free. I haven't got to say
that I believe things when I don't, or that I think things that she
thought just because she did ... I don't want to hurt you, father, but
you know that it must have seemed to me pretty odd coming back after
all these years and finding you, all in the same place, doing the same
things, believing in the same things--just like years ago. I've seen
the world a bit, I can tell you--Russia, China, Japan, America, North
and South, India. You believe as far as you can see. What are you to
think when, in every country that you come to, you see people believing
in different things? They can't all be right, you know."

His father said nothing.

"But each thinks he's right--and each hates the other. Then, when I
came back and saw a fellow like that man Thurston preaching and laying
down the law, well, it seemed odd enough that any one could be taken in
by it. I hope I don't hurt you, father ... only that's what you want,
isn't it ... to have it ou