the
hot blood rising to her face. Her woman's wit was the first to break the
hopeless situation. She turned, and hailed a passing car. "I cannot walk
any farther. Good-night." And she was gone.

The priest stood as if a sudden blow had struck him, following the
retreating car till it was out of sight, and then turned homeward,
dazed, and with feeble steps. What was this that had come to him to
so shake his life? What devil was tempting him to break his vows and
forsake his faith? Should he fly from the city and from his work, or
should he face what seemed to him, in the light of his consecration, a
monstrous temptation, and try to conquer himself? He began to doubt his
power to do this. He had always believed that it was easy to conquer
nature. And now a little brown woman had taught him that he reckons ill
who leaves out the strongest human passion. And yet suppose he should
break his solemn vows and throw away his ideal, and marry Ruth Leigh,
would he ever be happy? Here was a mediaeval survival confronted by a
nineteenth-century skepticism. The situation was plainly insoluble.
It was as plainly so to the clear mind of the unselfish little woman
without faith as it was to him. Perhaps she could not have respected him
if he had yielded. Strangely enough, the attraction of the priest for
her and for other women who called themselves servants of humanity was
in his consecration, in his attitude of separation from the vanities and
passions of this world. They believed in him, though they did not share
his faith. To Ruth Leigh this experience of love was as unexpected as it
was to the priest. Perhaps because her life was lived on a less exalted
plane she could bear it with more equanimity. But who knows? The habit
of her life was endurance, the sturdy meeting of the duty of every day,
with at least only a calm regard of the future. And she would go on.
But who can measure the inner change in her life? She must certainly
be changed by this deep experience, and, terrible as it was, perhaps
ennobled by it. Is there not something supernatural in such a love
itself? It has a wonderful transforming power. It is certain that a new
light, a tender light, was cast upon her world. And who can say that
some time, in the waiting and working future, this new light might not
change life altogether for this faithful soul?

There was one person upon whom the tragedy of life thus far sat lightly.
Even her enemies, if she had any, would n