ainst kingdom, and sect against sect--for this
was suicidal for the race. He denounced passion, too, not judicial
action. Therefore, this new decree was as logical as Himself--it was a
judicial act on the part of an united world against a tiny majority that
threatened the principle of life and faith: and it was to be carried out
with supreme mercy; there was no revenge or passion or partisan spirit
in it from beginning to end; no more than a man is revengeful or
passionate when he amputates a diseased limb--Oliver had convinced her
of that.

Yes, it was logical and sound. And it was because it was so that she
could not bear it.... But ah! what a sublime man Felsenburgh was; it was
a joy to her even to recall his speeches and his personality. She would
have liked to see him again. But it was no good. She had better be done
with it as tranquilly as possible. And the world must go forward without
her. She was just tired out with Facts.

* * * * *

She dozed off again presently, and it seemed scarcely five minutes
before she looked up to see a gentle smiling face of a white-capped
nurse bending over her.

"It is nearly six o'clock, my dear--the time you told me. I came to see
about breakfast."

Mabel drew a long breath. Then she sat up suddenly, throwing back the
sheet.

II

It struck a quarter-past six from the little clock on the mantel-shelf
as she laid down her pen. Then she took up the closely written sheets,
leaned back in her deep chair, and began to read.

"HOME OF REST,

"NO 3A MANCHESTER WEST.

"MY DEAR: I am very sorry, but it has come back to me. I really cannot
go on any longer, so I am going to escape in the only way left, as I
once told you. I have had a very quiet and happy time here; they have
been most kind and considerate. You see, of course, from the heading on
this paper, what I mean....

"Well, you have always been very dear to me; you are still, even at this
moment. So you have a right to know my reasons so far as I know them
myself. It is very difficult to understand myself; but it seems to me
that I am not strong enough to live. So long as I was pleased and
excited it was all very well--especially when He came. But I think I had
expected it to be different; I did not understand as I do now how it
must come to this--how it is all quite logical and right. I could bear
it, when I thought that they had acted through passion, but this is
deliberate. I did not realise that Peace must