the routine of a minister's career. The only thing
bothering us both has been--"

For the first time Harold hesitated.

"Go ahead," said John, awkwardly, and quite unaware of what was
forthcoming.

"You see, I know what she has been to you all these years," Harold
resumed, "and we both know, too, what your religious, or lack of
religious, views are, and it has pained me to think that perhaps you
would prefer as Dora's husband a man of--well, a man whose views were
more in accord with your own than mine can ever possibly be."

Not knowing what to say, John hung fire. He had always been outspoken
where his views were directly challenged, and, despite the delicacy of
the present crisis, he had nothing to take back. All things being equal,
he really would have preferred to have his protegee marry, if she
married at all, a man whose calling he could be proud of. He had
ridiculed parsons as the most parasitical of all men, and yet here he
was about to hand over to one of them the only human treasure he
possessed.

"I see you understand me," Harold half sighed, "and I am not so full of
religious zeal as not to sympathize with you. I don't see how a man can
live without more faith than you have, but I admire your firmness of
conviction in what you think is right. You may call yourself an atheist,
Mr. Trott, but you really are not one. A great man has said that there
are no atheists--that every man who does good, defends goodness, and
contends against evil of any sort has as good a god as any one. I don't
agree with him fully, but I know that what you did for Dora, full of
despair as you were at the time, proves that you had divinity in you.
That act was godlike and had to have a source outside of mere animal
instinct."

John was touched. He held out his hand. "Let all that pass, Harold," he
smiled. "I am sure that Dora loves you, and I want to make her happy.
You are her choice. You have a right to her."

"I thank you," Harold responded, with his first touch of emotion. There
was silence for a moment, then Harold said: "There is yet another
matter, Mr. Trott, and both Dora and I are worried over it. It belongs
to a little secret of ours. We have not even told my mother yet, and we
dread doing so. Mr. Trott, I have just received an appointment to a
desirable post among the missionaries in China."

"China!" John repeated, his honest mouth drooping, his eyes taking on a
dull fixity of gaze.

Harold shrugged and nodded