d."

He opened a door, and Herrick saw a large display of apparatus neatly
ordered: pumps and pipes, and the leaded boots, and the huge snouted
helmets shining in rows along the wall; ten complete outfits.

"The whole eastern half of my lagoon is shallow, you must understand,"
said Attwater; "so we were able to get in the dress to great advantage.
It paid beyond belief, and was a queer sight when they were at it, and
these marine monsters"--tapping the nearest of the helmets--"kept
appearing and reappearing in the midst of the lagoon. Fond of
parables?" he asked abruptly.

"O yes!" said Herrick.

"Well, I saw these machines come up dripping and go down again, and come
up dripping and go down again, and all the while the fellow inside as
dry as toast!" said Attwater; "and I thought we all wanted a dress to go
down into the world in, and come up scatheless. What do you think the
name was?" he inquired.

"Self-conceit," said Herrick.

"Ah, but I mean seriously!" said Attwater.

"Call it self-respect, then!" corrected Herrick, with a laugh.

"And why not Grace? Why not God's Grace, Hay?" asked Attwater. "Why not
the grace of your Maker and Redeemer, He who died for you, He who
upholds you, He whom you daily crucify afresh? There is nothing
here"--striking on his bosom,--"nothing there"--smiting the wall,--"and
nothing there,"--stamping--"nothing but God's Grace! We walk upon it, we
breathe it; we live and die by it; it makes the nails and axles of the
universe; and a puppy in pyjamas prefers self-conceit!" The huge dark
man stood over against Herrick by the line of the divers' helmets, and
seemed to swell and glow; and the next moment the life had gone from
him--"I beg your pardon," said he; "I see you don't believe in God?"

"Not in your sense, I am afraid," said Herrick.

"I never argue with young atheists or habitual drunkards," said Attwater
flippantly.--"Let us go across the island to the outer beach."

It was but a little way, the greatest width of that island scarce
exceeding a furlong, and they walked gently. Herrick was like one in a
dream. He had come there with a mind divided; come prepared to study
that ambiguous and sneering mask, drag out the essential man from
underneath, and act accordingly; decision being till then postponed.
Iron cruelty, an iron insensibility to the suffering of others, the
uncompromising pursuit of his own interests, cold culture, manners
without humanity: these he had looke