How can you think of it! You or Donovan, perhaps, but even
that idea seems to me wildly improbable."

There was something in his humility and sadness which touched his father
inexpressibly.

"Well," he said, after a pause, "if you are really prepared for all the
suffering this love must bring you, if you mean to take it, and cherish
it, and live for it, even though it brings you no gain, but apparent
pain and loss, then I think it can only raise both you and your Undine."

Brian knew that not one man in a thousand would have spoken in such a
way; his father's unworldliness was borne in upon him as it had never
been before. Greatly as he had always reverenced and loved him, tonight
his love and reverence deepened unspeakably--the two were drawn nearer
to each other than ever.

It was not the habit in this house to make the most sacred ties of life
the butt for ill-timed and ill-judged joking. No knight of old thought
or spoke more reverently or with greater reserve of his lady love than
did Brian of Erica. He regarded himself now as one bound to do her
service, consecrated from that day forward as her loyal knight.

CHAPTER V. Erica's Resolve

Men are tattooed with their special beliefs like so many
South Sea Islanders; but a real human heart, with Divine
love in it, beats with the same glow under all the patterns
of all earth's thousand tribes. O. Wendell Holmes.

For the next fortnight Brian and Erica continued to pass each other
every afternoon in Gower Street, as they had done for so long, the only
difference was that now they greeted each other, that occasionally Brian
would be rendered happy for the rest of the day by some brief passing
remark from his Undine, or by one of her peculiarly bright smiles. One
day, however, she actually stopped; her face was radiant.

"I must just tell you our good news," she said. "My father has won his
case, and has got heavy damages."

"I am very glad," said Brian. "It must be a great relief to you all to
have it over."

"Immense! Father looks as if a ton's weight had been taken off his mind.
Now I hope we shall have a little peace."

With a hasty good bye she hurried on, an unusual elasticity in her
light footsteps. In Guilford Square she met a political friend of her
father's, and was brought once more to a standstill. This time it was a
little unwillingly, for M. Noirol teased her unmercifully, and at their
last meeting had almost made her a