"Never, of yourself," was the answer. "But whoso taketh Christ for his
Priest to atone, taketh Christ also for his King to govern. In him God
worketh, bringing forth from his soul graces which He Himself hath first
put there--graces which the natural heart never can bring forth. Faith
is the first of these; then love; and then obedience. And both love and
obedience teach forgiveness. `If ye forgive not men their trespasses,
how then shall your Father which is in Heaven forgive your trespasses?'"

"Then," said Philippa, after a minute's silence, during which she was
deeply meditating, "what we give to God is these graces of which you
speak?--we give Him faith, and love, and obedience?"

"Assuredly--when He hath first implanted all within us."

"But what do we give of ourselves?" asked Philippa in a puzzled tone.

"We give _ourselves_."

"This giving of ourselves, then," pursued Philippa slowly, "maketh the
grace of condignity?"

"We give to God," replied the low voice of the eremitess, "ourselves,
and our sins. The last He purgeth away, and casteth them into the
depths of the sea. Is there grace of condignity in them? And for us,
when our sins are forgiven, and our souls cleansed, we are for ever
committing further sin, for ever needing fresh cleansing and renewed
pardon. Is there grace of condignity, then, in us?"

"But where do you allow the grace of condignity?"

"I allow it not at all."

Philippa shrank back a little. In her eyes, this was heresy.

"You love not that," said the Grey Lady gently. "But can you find any
other way of salvation that will stand with the dignity of God? If man
save himself, then is Christ no Saviour; if man take the first step
towards God, then is Christ no Author, but only the Finisher of faith."

"It seems to me," answered Philippa rather coldly, "that such a view as
yours detracts from the dignity of man."

She could not see the smile that crossed the lips of the eremitess.

"Most certainly it does," said she.

"And God made man," objected Philippa. "To injure the dignity of man,
therefore, is to affront the dignity of God."

"Dignity fell with Adam," said the Grey Lady. "Satan fatally injured
the dignity of man, when he crept into Eden. Man hath none left now,
but only as he returneth unto God. And do you think there be any grace
of condignity in a beggar, when he holdeth forth his hand to receive a
garment in the convent dole? Is it such a condescension