the fire. He
began to think himself rash for venturing into this arena. He had always
believed his cousin to be stronger than Hazard, because Hazard was a
clergyman, but he had not hitherto thought her stronger than himself,
and he now looked at her carefully, wondering whether he could have
managed her. Never in his life had he felt so nearly in love with her as
now, under the temptation to try whether she could be made to give up
her will to his. This feeling was the stronger because even in his own
eyes his conduct so far seemed a little cowardly and ridiculous. He
pulled himself up sharply, and, seeing nothing else to be done, he took
up the weapons of the church and asserted the tone of authority.

"Every one who marries," he said, "goes it blind, more or less. If you
have faith enough in Hazard to believe in him, you have faith enough to
accept his church. Faith means submission. Submit!"

"I want to submit," cried Esther piteously, rising in her turn and
speaking in accents of real distress and passion. "Why can't some of you
make me? For a few minutes at a time I think it done, and then I
suddenly find myself more defiant than ever. I want nothing of the
church! Why should it trouble me? Why should I submit to it? Why can't
it leave me alone?"

"What you want is the Roman church," continued Strong mercilessly. "They
know how to deal with pride of will. Millions of men and women have gone
through the same struggle, and the church tells them to fix their eyes
on a symbol of faith, and if their eyes wander, scourges them for it."
As he talked, he took up the little carved ivory crucifix which stood on
the mantel-piece among other bits of studio furniture, and holding it up
before her, said: "There! How many people do you think, have come to
this Christ of yours that has no meaning to you, and in their struggle
with doubt, have pressed it against their hearts till it drew blood? Ask
it!"

"Is that all?" said Esther, taking the crucifix from his hand and
looking curiously at it. Then she silently put it against her heart and
pressed it with more and more force, until Strong caught her hand in
alarm and pulled it away.

"Come!" said he coolly, as he forced her to give up the crucifix; "my
little bluff has failed. I throw up the hand. You must play it out with
Hazard."

_Chapter VIII_

Mr. Hazard was not happy. Like Esther he felt himself getting into a
state of mind that threatened to break his spirit