he had something on his mind. I noticed it long before
this happened."

Isabelle laughed carelessly. "What a girl you are, Marion! You are
always imagining things about people. For my part I have too many
worries of my own."

Upstairs Evadne was saying wistfully, "Don't you think your life should
be very precious, Louis, now that two people have died?"

"Two people, Evadne? I know there was good old Pompey,--the thought of
that haunts me night and day,--but who else do you mean?"

"Jesus Christ."

"Oh!"

"Do you never think about him, Louis?"

"My dear coz, I find it wiser not to think. Every other man you meet
holds a different creed, and each one thinks his is the right one. Why
should I set myself up as knowing better than other people? The only way
is to have a sort of nebulous faith. God will not expect too much of us,
if we do the best we can."

"A 'nebulous faith' will not save you, Louis," Evadne answered sadly.
"God expects us to believe his word when he tells us that he has opened
a way for us into the Holiest by the blood of his Son."

"That atonement theory is an uncanny doctrine."

"It is the only way by which sinners can be made 'at one' with an
absolutely holy God. Jesus said 'And I if I be lifted up ... will draw
all men unto me.' His humanitarianism did not win the hearts of the
multitude. The very men he had fed and healed hounded him _on to his
cross_."

"It is not philosophical."

"I read this morning that 'the moving energy in the world's history
to-day is not a philosophy, but a cross.'"

"The God of the present is humanitarianism."

"Humanitarianism is not Christ. Paul says--'Though I bestow all my goods
to feed the poor ... but have not love, it profiteth me nothing.' The
love which he means is the Christ power, for no mere human love could
reach the altitude of the 13th of 1st Corinthians. Real religion is not
a creed, but a Christ. It seems to me the most important questions we
have to answer are, what we think of Christ and what we are going to do
with him.

"When Peter gave his answer--'Thou art the Christ,--the Anointed
One,--the Son of the living God,--' Christ said, 'On this rock--the
faith of thine--I will build my church.' Humanitarianism, pure and
simple, seems to me but an attempt to imitate Christ. It is beautiful as
far as it goes, but it is not my idea of following him."

"What is, Evadne?"

"When Jesus told his disciples to follow, he meant them to be with hi