eat measure, atrophied
impulse, and, in eradicating personal desire, had come near destroying
all spontaneity of emotion. She could still give, but the power of
receiving was deadened in her. And she had come to be jealous of the
quiet which surrounded her. It was her support and solace. She asked
little more than not to have it broken up. She dreaded even affection,
should that strive to draw her from the cloistered way of life. The
world, and its many interests, had ceased to be of any moment to her.
She asked to be left to contemplation of things eternal and to the
tragedy of her own heart. And so, though it was beautiful to know
herself to be thus cherished and held in high esteem, that beauty came
to her as something unrelated, as sweet words good to hear, yet spoken
of some person other than herself, or of a self she had ceased to be.
All privilege implies a corresponding obligation, and to the meeting of
fresh obligations Katherine felt herself not only unequal, but
indisposed. And so, she smiled now upon Honoria St. Quentin, leaning
back against the rose-silk and muslin-covered pillows, with a lovely
indulgence, yet rather hopelessly unmoved and remote.

"Ah! my dear, I am beyond all wish to be healed after the fashion you,
in your urgent loving-kindness, would have me," she said. "I look
forward to the final healing, when my many mistakes and shortcomings
shall be forgiven and the smart of them removed. And I am very tired. I
do not think it can be required of me to go back."

"I know, I know," Honoria replied.--She rose to her feet and moved
across to the fireplace, her straight eyebrows drawn together, her
expression one of perplexity. "I must seem a brute for trying to drag
you back. When Dr. Knott, and the other two men, asked me to come and
reason with you, I was on the edge of refusing. I hardly had the heart
to worry you. And yet," she added wistfully, "after all, in a way, it
is just simply your own, dear fault. For if you will be a sort of
little kingdom of heaven to us, you see, it's inevitable that, when you
threaten to slip away from us, we should play the part of the violent
and do our best to take our kingdom by force and keep it in spite of
itself."

"You overrate the heavenliness of the poor little kingdom," Katherine
said. "Its soil has become barren, its proud cities are laid waste.
It's an unprofitable place, believe me, dearest child. Let it be. Seek
your fortune in some kingdom from whic