world. This love must be denied,
this longing of the heart for companionship could never be gratified,
yet after all it was a sweet self-sacrifice, and the love itself brought
its own consolation. She had not to think of herself as weak, and
neither was her lover's image dimmed to her by any surrender of his own
principle or his own ideal. She saw him, as she had first seen him, a
person consecrated and set apart, however much she might disagree with
his supernatural vagaries--set apart to the service of humanity. She had
bitter thoughts sometimes of the world, and bitter thoughts of the false
system that controlled his conduct, but never of him.

It was unavoidable that she should recall her last interview with him,
and that the image of his noble, spiritual face should be ever distinct
in her mind. And there was even a certain comfort in this recollection.

Father Damon had indeed striven, under the counsel of his own
courage and of Brother Monies, to conquer himself on the field of his
temptation. But with his frail physique it was asking too much. This at
last was so evident that the good brother advised him, and the advice
was in the nature of a command in his order, to retire for a while, and
then take up his work in a fresh field.

When this was determined on, his desire was nearly irresistible to see
Ruth Leigh; he thought it would be cowardly to disappear and not say
good-by. Indeed, it was necessary to see her and explain the stoppage
of help from the Margaret Fund. The check that he had drawn, which was
returned, had been for one of Dr. Leigh's cases. With his failure
to elicit any response from Mrs. Henderson, the hope, raised by the
newspaper comments on the unexecuted will, that the fund would be
renewed was dissipated.

In the interview which Father Damon sought with Dr. Leigh at the Women's
Hospital all this was explained, and ways and means were discussed for
help elsewhere.

"I wanted to talk this over with you," said Father Damon, "because I am
going away to take a rest."

"You need it, Father Damon," was Ruth's answer, in a professional
manner.

"And--and," he continued, with some hesitation, "probably I shall not
return to this mission."

"Perhaps that will be best," she said, simply, but looking up at him
now, with a face full of tender sympathy.

"I am sure of it," he replied, turning away from her gaze. "The fact
is, doctor, I am a little hipped--overworked, and all that. I shall pull