natural.
He was a very reserved man, but looking down at the eager, questioning
face beside him his reserve all at once melted. He spoke very quietly,
but in a voice which showed Erica that he was, at least, as she
expressed it "honestly deluded." Evidently he did from his very heart
believe what he said.

"But how are we to judge what is best?" he replied. "My belief is that
God is slowly and gradually educating the world, not forcing it on
unnaturally, but drawing it on step by step, making it work out its own
lessons as the best teachers do with their pupils. To me the idea of a
steady progression, in which man himself may be a co-worker with God, is
far more beautiful than the conception of a Being who does not work by
natural laws at all, but arbitrarily causes this and that to be or not
to be."

"But then if your God is educating the world, He is educating many of
us in ignorance of Himself, in atheism. How can that be good or right?
Surely you, for instance, must be rather puzzled when you come across
atheists, if you believe in a perfect God, and think atheism the most
fearful mistake possible?"

"If I could not believe that God can, and does, educate some of us
through atheism, I should indeed be miserable," said Brian, with a
thrill of pain in his voice which startled Erica. "But I do believe that
even atheism, even blank ignorance of Him, may be a stage through which
alone some of us can be brought onward. The noblest man I ever knew
passed through that state, and I can't think he would have been half the
man he is if he had not passed through it."

"I have only known two or three people who from atheists became theists,
and they were horrid," said Erica, emphatically. "People always are
spiteful to the side they have left."

"You could not say that of my friend," said Brian, musingly, "I wish you
could meet him."

They had reached the entrance to Guilford Terrace, Raeburn and Charles
Osmond overtook them, and the conversation ended abruptly. Perhaps
because Erica had made no answer to the last remark, and was conscious
of a touch of malice in her former speech, she put a little additional
warmth into her farewell. At any rate, there was that which touched
Brian's very heart in the frank innocence of her hand clasp, in the
sweet yet questioning eyes that were raised to his.

He turned away, happier and yet sadder than he had ever been in his
life. Not a word passed between him and his father as they