and then plunged at once into eager questions and eager
arguments. He could not endure the thought that the man in whom at the
last he was able to recognize a certain nobility of character, should be
sinking down into what he considered everlasting darkness. Bitterly
did he now regret the indifference of former years, and the actual
uncharitableness in which he had of late indulged.

Raeburn lay very passively listening to an impassioned setting forth of
the gospel, his hands wandering about restlessly, picking up little bits
of the coverlet in that strange way so often noticed in dying people.

"You are mistaken," he said when at length Mr. Fane-Smith ceased. "Had
you argued with me in former years, you would never have convinced me,
your books and tracts could never have altered my firm convictions.
All my life I have had tracts and leaflets showered down upon me with
letters from pious folks desiring my conversion. I have had innumerable
letters telling me that the writers were praying for me. Well, I think
they would have done better to pray for some of my orthodox opponents
who are leading immoral lives; but, insofar as prayers show a certain
amount of human interest, I am very willing that they should pray for me
though they would have shown better taste if they had not informed me
of their supplications. But don't mistake me; it is not in this way that
you will ever prove the truth of your religion. You must show justice
to your opponents first. You must put a different spirit into your pet
word, 'Charity.' I don't think you can do it. I think your religion
false. I consider that it is rooted in selfishness and superstition.
Being convinced of this when I was still young, I had to find some other
system to take its place. That system I found in secularism. For thirty
years I have lived as a secularist and have been perfectly content
notwithstanding that my life has been a very hard one. As a secularist I
now die content."

Mr. Fane-Smith shuddered. This was of course inexpressibly painful to
him. He could not see that what had disgusted Raeburn with religion
had been the distortion of Christ's teaching, and that in truth the
secularist creed embodied much of the truest and loftiest Christianity.

Once more he reiterated his arguments, striving hard to show by words
the beauty of his religion. But Christianity can only be vindicated
by deeds, can only be truly shown forth in lives. The country, the
"Christian