his spirit of triumphal life poured deep into Roger's house. It was as
though his daughter, in these last months which she had left for undivided
service, were strengthening her faith in it all and pledging her
devotion--as communing with herself she felt the crisis drawing near.

CHAPTER XL

There came an interruption. One night when Deborah was out and Roger sat in
his study alone, the maid came in highly flustered and said,

"Mr. Gale! It's Miss Laura to see you!"

He turned with a startled jerk of his head and his face slowly reddened.
But when he saw the maid's eager expression and saw that she was expecting
a scene, with a frown of displeasure he rose from his chair.

"Very well," he said, and he went to his daughter. He found her in the
living room. No repentant Magdalene, but quite unabashed and at her ease,
she came to her father quickly.

"Oh, dad, I'm so glad to see you, dear!" And she gave him a swift impetuous
kiss, her rich lips for an instant pressing warmly to his cheek.

"Laura!" he said thickly. "Come into my study, will you? I'm alone this
evening."

"I'm so glad you are!" she replied. She followed him in and he closed the
door. He glanced at her confusedly. In her warmth, her elegance, an
indefinable change in the tone and accent of her high magnetic voice, and
in her ardent smiling eyes, she seemed to him more the foreigner now. And
Roger's thoughts were in a whirl. What had happened? Had she married again?

"Is Edith here still?" she was asking.

"No, she's up in the mountains. She's living there," he answered.

"Edith? In the mountains?" demanded Laura, in surprise. And she asked
innumerable questions. He replied to each one of them carefully, slowly,
meanwhile getting control of himself.

"And Deborah married--married at last! How has it worked? Is she happy,
dad?"

"Very," he said.

"And is she still keeping up her schools?"

"Yes, for the present. She'll have to stop soon." Laura leaned forward,
curious:

"Tell me, dad--a baby?"

"Yes." She stared a moment.

"Deborah!" she softly exclaimed; and in a moment, "I wonder."

"What do you mean?" her father asked, but Laura evaded his question. She
plied him with her inquiries for a few minutes longer, then turned to him
with a challenging smile:

"Well, father, don't you think you had better ask me now about myself?" He
looked away a moment, but turned resolutely back:

"I suppose so. When did you land?"

"This mor