e you pain. I thank you for
the honor you have done me, but I can never be your wife. Even if I
could return your love, which I can not, it could never be right. People
are so prejudiced that the connection of our names might greatly injure
your public work, and, besides, you could not live in the circle in
which I live, and nothing could ever make it right for me to leave my
own people. I can not write as I should like to I can not say what I
would, or thank you as I would but please understand me, and believe me
yours very sincerely, Erica Raeburn."

Strange enough the writing of that letter, the realization of the
impossibility of accepting Leslie Cunningham's offer, opened out to
Erica a new region, started her upon a new stage of her life progress.
In spite of her trouble at the thought of the pain she must give, there
was an indefinable sense that life and love meant much more than she had
hitherto dreamed of; and, though for the next few days she was a little
grave and silent, there rang in her ears the refrain:

"Oh, life, oh, beyond, Thou art strange, thou art sweet."

She was not sorry that her visit was drawing to a close, although the
last week had gone much more smoothly. Her vigorous nature began to long
to return to the working day world, and though she could very honestly
thank Mr. Fane-Smith for his kindness, she turned her back on his house
with unmixed satisfaction.

"And you cannot change your ind as to my suggestion?" he asked sending
off one parting arrow.

"I can not," said Erica, firmly, "he is my father."

"You must of course make your own choice," he said with a sigh. "But you
are sadly wrong, sadly wrong! In my opinion your father is--"

"Forgive me for interrupting you," said Erica, "but by your own showing
you have no right to have any opinion whatever about my father. Until
you have either learned to know him personally, heard him speak, or
fairly and carefully studied his writings, you have no grounds to form
an opinion upon."

"But the current opinion is--"

"The current opinion is no more an opinion than yours! It is the view
of most bitter opponents. And, candidly, WOULD you accept the current
opinion held of any prominent statesman by his adversaries? Why, the
best men living are represented as fiends in human shape by their
enemies! And if this is so in political matters, how much more in such a
case as my father's!"

Mr. Fane-Smith, who was a well-meaning though narrow ma