d years
ago in the words: '_Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding
count the number of the beast; for it is_ THE NUMBER OF MAN; _and his
number is 666_.'

"Oh, yes, in a hundred and one ways, the coming of the Anti-christ, and
the consequent worship of his Satanic-energized personality, was
well-paved; for the world relegated to the limbo of the past, God's
evangel as effete, superstitious, worn-out, and it was then prepared
for the Devil's lie, the Great Delusion."

By this time George's feet had carried him to the door of the house.
He knocked, as arranged before leaving, three slow, deliberate knocks
and two others, sharp, quickly-following.

Almost instantly Rose appeared at the door. She had prepared an
evening meal, and over the supper-table he told her all that he had
seen and heard, while out, adding:

"The whole world will be abjectly at the feet of that man of Satan,
presently."

For a few moments they talked on together, then she rose to clear the
table. His eyes followed her in all her movements, for, in spite of
her bruised stiffness, all that she did was done so deftly, and every
movement of her beautiful form was full of the grace of perfect ease.

Now, almost for the first time, it came to him with full seriousness,
"What am I to do with her? since, saving her, housing her I have, to a
certain extent, made myself responsible for her?"

When she returned to the room, after clearing the last thing from the
table, he said:

"We must face your future, Rose! What are your plans, or haven't you
any?"

"I am afraid I have no plans," she returned. "You see, good George, I
was so terrified at all I heard from my brother, that I simply got away
as quickly as I could, without any plan for the future, other than that
there has always been, at the back of my mind, an idea, that should I
ever (from any cause whatever) become a refugee, I should make my way
to England. For, rightly or wrongly; I believe the peoples of all the
world have always associated with England the two thoughts of safety
and liberty."

Lifting her eyes to his, a bright smile filling all her face, she went
on:

"I am not without money. I have nearly twenty-five pounds with me.
The question is, where would one--who would rather die than wear the
'Mark of the Beast'--be safest? In England, do you think?"

"I don't know, Rose. _My_ place is there, because my _duty_ lies
there. And now that I have, I think, finished