think she might go
down for a little. What do you think, Charrington? You know best."

"If she is good she might," said Jack doubtfully. "But she must promise
to be quiet."

"Jack, you're a dear. You're an angel. I'll be good--as good as I can."
With which extremely doubtful promise they had to content themselves.

At dinner none was more radiant that Iola. Without effort or strain her
wit and gaiety bubbled over, till Barney, watching her in wonder, asked
himself whether in his first impression of her he had not been mistaken.
As he still watched and listened his wonder grew. How brilliantly clever
she was! How quick her wit! How exquisitely subtle her fancy! Her mind,
glowing like a live coal, seemed to kindle by mere contact the minds
about her, till the whole table, catching her fire, scintillated with
imagination's divine flame. Through it all Barney became conscious of
a change in her. She was brighter than of old, cleverer by far. Her
conversation was that of a highly cultured woman of the world. But it
was not these that made the change. There was a new quality of soul in
her. Patience had wrought her perfect work. She exhaled that exquisite
aroma of the spirit disciplined by pain. She was less of the earth,
earthy. The airs of Heaven were breathing about her.

To Barney, with his new sensitiveness to the spiritual, this change in
Iola made her inexpressibly dear. It seemed as if he had met her in a
new and better country where neither had seen the other before. And yet
it filled him with an odd sense of loss. It was as if earth were losing
its claim in her, as if her earthward affinities were refining into the
heavenly. She was keenly interested in the story of Dick's work and, in
spite of his reluctance to talk, she so managed the conversation, that,
before he was aware, Barney was in the full tide of the thrilling tale
of his brother's heroic service to the men in the mountains of Western
Canada. As Barney waxed eloquent, picturing the perils and privations,
the discouragements and defeats, the toils and triumphs of missionary
life, the lustrous eyes grew luminous with deep inner light, the
beautiful face, its ivory pallor relieved by a touch of carmine upon lip
and cheek, appeared to shed a very radiance of glory that drew and held
the gaze of the whole company.

"Oh, what splendid work!" she cried. "How good to be a man! But it's
better," she added, with a quick glance at Barney and a little shy
laugh