,
I am not a Christian. If we are going to call any sort of religious
feeling that has a respect for Jesus, Christianity, then no doubt I am
a Christian. But so was Mohammed at that rate. Let me tell you what I
believe. I believe in God, I believe in the immediate presence of God in
every human life, I believe that our lives have to serve the Kingdom of
God...."

"That practically is what Mr. Chasters calls 'The Core of Truth in
Christianity.'"

"You have been reading him?"

"Eleanor lent me the book. But Mr. Chasters keeps his living."

"I am not Chasters," said Scrope stiffly, and then relenting: "What he
does may be right for him. But I could not do as he does."

Lady Ella had said no word for some time.

"I would be ashamed," she said quietly, "if you had not done as you
have done. I don't mind--The girls don't mind--all this.... Not when we
understand--as we do now."

That was the limit of her eloquence.

"Not now that we understand, Daddy," said Clementina, and a faint
flavour of Lady Sunderbund seemed to pass and vanish.

There was a queer little pause. He stood rather distressed and
perplexed, because the talk had not gone quite as he had intended it
to go. It had deteriorated towards personal issues. Phoebe broke the
awkwardness by jumping up and coming to her father. "Dear Daddy," she
said, and kissed him.

"We didn't understand properly," said Clementina, in the tone of one who
explains away much--that had never been spoken....

"Daddy," said Miriam with an inspiration, "may I play something to you
presently?"

"But the fire!" interjected Lady Ella, disposing of that idea.

"I want you to know, all of you, the faith I have," he said.

Daphne had remained seated at the table.

"Are we never to go to church again?" she asked, as if at a loss.

(17)

Scrope went back into his little study. He felt shy and awkward with his
daughters now. He felt it would be difficult to get back to usualness
with them. To-night it would be impossible. To-morrow he must come
down to breakfast as though their talk had never occurred.... In his
rehearsal of this deliverance during his walk home he had spoken much
more plainly of his sense of the coming of God to rule the world and end
the long age of the warring nations and competing traders, and he had
intended to speak with equal plainness of the passionate subordination
of the individual life to this great common purpose of God and man, an
aspect he had s