een cut down by the sword,
buried alive, thrown from the tops of rocks, and burned at the stake.
And in peacefuller times they have left their homes and countries and
gone to the ends of the earth to tell the gospel. They have done what
was given them to do, without regarding the cost of it.'

'Then you think all the people who fill our churches are no Christians!'

'I say nothing about the people who fill our churches.'

Pitt rose here.

'But, Mr. Dallas, how can all the world be so mistaken? Our clergymen,
our bishops, do not preach such doctrine as you do, if I understand
you.'

'That has been a great puzzle to me,' he said.

'Is it not enough to make you doubt?'

'Can I question the words I have read to you?'

'No, but perhaps your interpretation of them.'

'When you have got down to the simplest possible English, there is no
room that I see for interpretation. "Follow me" can mean nothing but
"follow me;" and "forsaking all" is not a doubtful expression.'

The discussion would probably have gone on still further, but the elder
Dallas's step was heard in the house, and Pitt went away with his book.

CHAPTER XXXVII.

_A STAND_.

Mrs. Dallas was very deeply disturbed. She saw in these strange views
of Pitt's all sorts of possible dangers to what she had hoped would be
his future career in life. Even granting that they were a youthful
folly and would pass away, how soon would they pass away? and in the
meantime what chances Pitt might lose, what time might be wasted, what
fatal damage his prospects might suffer! And Pitt held a thing so fast
when he had once taken it up. Almost her only hope lay in Betty's
influence.

Betty herself was disturbed, much more than she cared to have known. If
_this_ fascination got hold of Pitt, she knew very well he would, for
the time at least, be open to no other. Her ordinary power would be
gone; he would see in her nothing but a talking machine with whom he
could discuss things. It was not speculation merely that busied his
thoughts now, she could see; not mere philosophy, or study of human
nature; Pitt was carrying all these Bible words in upon himself,
comparing them with himself, and working away at the discrepancy.
Something that he called conscience was engaged, and restless. Betty
saw that there was but one thing left for her to do. Diversion was not
possible; she could not hope to turn Pitt aside from his quest after
truth; she must seem to take part i