, standing upon
the edge of that precipice and the helplessness of every one to save
her, and the great refrain like the peal of an organ going through
everything, "None other that fighteth for us but only Thou, O God."
Surely, surely to prevent this sacrifice He would interfere.

She turned to him the moment they were out of the church doors with
that same look of eager defiance yet demand, and as soon as they left
the road, the first step into the copse, putting out her hand to
call his attention: "You said I could not put up with it, a girl so
well-brought-up as I am. What is it a well-brought-up girl can't put
up with? A disorderly house, late hours, and so forth, hateful to the
well-brought-up? What is it, what is it, John?"

"Have you been thinking of that all through the morning prayers?" he
said.

"Yes, I have been thinking about it. What did you expect me to think
about? Is there anything else so important? Mr. Hudson's sermon,
perhaps, which I have heard before, which I suppose _you_ listened to,"
she said, with a troubled laugh.

"I did a little, wondering how a good man like that could go on doing
it; and there were other things----" John did not like to say what it
was which was still throbbing through the air to him, and through his
own being.

"Nothing that is of so much moment to me: come back, John, to the
well-brought-up girl."

"You think that's a poor sort of description, Elinor; so it is. You are
of course a great deal more than that. Still it's what one can turn to
most easily. You don't know what life is in a sort of fast house, where
there is nothing thought of but amusement or where it's a constant round
of race meetings, yachting, steeplechases--I don't know if men still
ride steeplechases--I mean that sort of thing: Monte Carlo in the winter:
betting all the year round--if not on one thing then on another;
expedients to raise money, for money's always wanted. You don't
know--how can you know?--what goes on in a fast life."

"Don't you see, John," she cried, eagerly, "that all that, if put in a
different way not to their prejudice, if put in the right way would
sound delightful? There is no harm in these things at all. Betting's not
a sin in the Bible any more than races are. Don't you see it's only the
abuse of them that's wrong? One might ruin one's health, I believe, with
tea, which is the most righteous thing! I should like above all things a
yacht, say in the Mediterranean, and to