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perplexing　myself　with　your　questionings？　　Be　off　to　your　shooting；　and　your　golf；　and　let　me　have　no　more　of　this　morbid　fuss。〃

No　more　was　said；　but　Luke　Raeburn；　with　his　doubts　and　questions　shut　thus　into　himself；　drifted　rapidly　from　skepticism　to　the　most　positive　form　of　unbelief。　　When　he　next　came　home　for　the　long　vacation；　his　father　was　at　length　awakened　to　the　fact　that　the　son；　upon　whom　all　his　ambition　was　set；　was　hopelessly　lost　to　the　Church；　and　with　this　consciousness　a　most　bitter　sense　of　disappointment　rose　in　his　heart。　　His　pride；　the　only　side　of　fatherhood　which　he　possessed；　was　deeply　wounded；　and　his　dreams　of　honorable　distinction　were　laid　low。　　His　wrath　was　great。　　Luke　found　the　home　made　almost　unbearable　to　him。　　His　college　career　was　of　course　at　an　end；　for　his　father　would　not　hear　of　providing　him　with　the　necessary　funds　now　that　he　had　actually　confessed　his　atheism。　　He　was　hardly　allowed　to　speak　to　his　sisters；　every　request　for　money　to　start　him　in　some　profession　met　with　a　sharp　refusal；　and　matters　were　becoming　so　desperate　that　he　would　probably　have　left　the　place　of　his　own　accord　before　long；　had　not　Mr。　Raeburn　himself　put　an　end　to　a　state　of　things　which　had　grown　insufferable。

With　some　lurking　hope；　perhaps；　of　convincing　his　son；　he　resolved　upon　trying　a　course　of　argument。　　To　do　him　justice　he　really　tried　to　prepare　himself　for　it；　dragged　down　volumes　of　dusty　divines；　and　got　up　with　much　pains　Paley's　〃watch〃　argument。　　There　was　some　honesty；　even　perhaps　a　very　little　love；　in　his　mistaken　endeavors；　but　he　did　not　recognize　that　while　he　himself　was　unforgiving；　unloving；　harsh；　and　self…indulgent；　all　his　arguments　for　Christianity　were　of　necessity　null　and　void。　　He　argued　for　the　existence　of　a　perfectly　loving；　good　God；　all　the　while　treating　his　son　with　injustice　and　tyranny。　　Of　course　there　could　be　only　one　result　from　a　debate　between　the　two。　　Luke　Raeburn　with　his　honesty；　his　great　abilities；　his　gift　of　reasoning；　above　all　his　thorough　earnestness；　had　the　best　of　it。

To　be　beaten　in　argument　was　naturally　the　one　thing　which　such　a　man　as　Mr。　Raeburn　could　not　forgive。　　He　might　in　time　have　learned　to　tolerate　a　difference　of　opinion；　he　would　beyond　a　doubt　have　forgiven　almost　any　of　the　failings　that　he　could　understand；　would　have　paid　his　son's　college　debts　without　a　murmur；　would　have　overlooked　anything　connected　with　what　he　considered　the　necessary　process　of　〃sowing　his　wild　oats。〃　　But　that　the　fellow　should　presume　to　think　out　the　greatest　problems　in　the　world；　should　set　up　his　judgment　against　Paley's；　and　worst　of　all　should　actually　and　palpably　beat　HIM　in　argumentthis　was　an　unpardonable　offense。

A　stormy　scene　ensued。　　The　father；　in　ungovernable　fury；　heaped　upon　the　son　every　abusive　epithet　he　could　think　of。　　Luke　Raeburn　spoke　not　a　word；　he　was　strong　and　self…controlled；　moreover；　he　knew　that　he　had　had　the　best　of　the　argument。　　He　was　human；　however；　and　his　heart　was　wrung　by　his　father's　bitterness。　　Standing　there　on　that　summer　day；　in　the　study　of　the　Scotch　parsonage；　the　man's　future　was　sealed。　　He　suffered　there　the　loss　of　all　things；　but　at　the　very　time　there　sprung　up　in　him　an　enthusiasm　for　the　cause　of　free　thought；　a　passionate；　burning　zeal　for　the　opinions　for　which　he　suffered；　which　never　left　him；　but　served　as　the　great　moving　impulse　of　his　whole　subsequent　life。

〃I　tell　you；　you　are　not　fit　to　be　in　a　gentleman's　house；〃　thundered　the　father。　　〃A　rank　atheist；　a　lying　infidel！　　It　is　against　nature　that　you　should　call　a　parsonage　your　home。〃

〃It　is　not　particularly　home…like；〃　said　the　son；　bitterly。　　〃I　can　leave　it　when　you　please。〃

〃Can！〃　exclaimed　the　father；　in　a　fury；　〃you　WILL　leave　it；　sir；　and　this　very　day　too！　　I　disown　you　from　this　time。　　I'll　have　no　atheist　for　my　son！　　Change　your　views　or　leave　the　house　at　once。〃

Perhaps　he　expected　his　son　to　make　some　compromise；　if　so　he　showed　what　a　very　slight　knowledge　he　had　of　his　character。　　Luke　Raeburn　had　certainly　not　been　prepared　for　such　extreme　harshness；　but　with　the　pain　and　grief　and　indignation　there　rose　in　his　heart　a　mighty　resoluteness。　　With　a　face　as　hard　and　rugged　as　the　granite　rocks　without；　he　wished　his　father　goodbye；　and　obeyed　his　orders。

Then　had　followed　such　a　struggle　with　the　world　as　few　men　would　have　gone　through　with。　　Cut　off　from　all　friends　and　relations　by　his　avowal　of　atheism；　and　baffled　again　and　again　in　seeking　to　earn　his　living；　he　had　more　than　once　been　on　the　very　brink　of　starvation。　　By　sheer　force　of　will　he　had　won　his　way；　had　risen　above　adverse　circumstances；　had　fought　down　obstacles；　and　conquered　opposing　powers。　　Before　long　he　had　made　fresh　friends　and　gained　many　followers；　for　there　was　an　extraordinary　magnetism　about　the　man　which　almost　compelled　those　who　were　brought　into　contact　with　him　to　reverence　him。

It　was　a　curious　history。　　First　there　had　been　that　time　of　grievous　doubt；　then　he　had　been　thrown　upon　the　world　friendless　and　penniless；　with　the　beliefs　and　hopes　hitherto　most　sacred　to　him　dead；　and　in　their　place　an　aching　blank。　　He　had　suffered　much。　　Treated　on　all　sides　with　harshness　and　injustice；　it　was　indeed　wonderful　that　he　had　not　developed　into　a　mere　hater；　a　passionate　down…puller。　　But　there　was　in　his　character　a　nobility　which　would　not　allow　him　to　rest　at　this　low　level。　　The　bitter　hostility　and　injustice　which　he　encountered　did　indeed　warp　his　mind；　and　every　year　of　controversy　made　it　more　impossible　for　him　to　take　an　unprejudiced　view　of　Christ's　teaching；　but　nevertheless　he　could　not　remain　a　mere　destroyer。

In　that　time　of　blankness；　when　he　had　lost　all　faith　in　God；　when　he　had　been　robbed　of　friendship　and　family　love；　he　had　seized　desperately　on　the　one　thing　left　himthe　love　of　humanity。　　To　him　atheism　meant　not　only　the　assertion〃The　word　God　is　a　word　without　meaning；　it　conveys　nothing　to　my　understanding。〃　　He　added　to　this　barren　confession　of　an　intellectual　state　a　singularly　high　code　of　duty。　　Such　a　code　as　could　only　have　emanated　from　one　about　whom　there　lingered　what　Carlyle　has　termed　a　great　after…shine　of　Christianity。　　He　held　that　the　only　happiness　worth　having　was　that　which　came　to　a　man　while　engaged　in　promoting　the　general　good。　　That　the　whole　duty　of　man　was　to　devote　himself　to　the　service　of　others。　　And　he　lived　his　creed。

Like　other　people；　he　had　his　faults；　but　he　was　always　ready　to　spend　and　he　spent　for　what　he　considered　the　good　of　others；　while　every　act　of　injustice　called　forth　his　unsparing　rebuke；　and　every　oppressed　person　or　cause　was　sure　to　meet　with　his　support　at　whatever　cost　to　himself。　　His　zeal　for　what　he　regarded　as　the　〃gospel〃　of　atheism　grew　and　strengthened　year　by　year。　　He　was　the　untiring　advocate　of　what　he　considered　the　truth。　　Neither　illness　nor　small　results；　nor　loss；　could　quench　his　ardor；　while　opposition　invariably　stimulated　him　to　fresh　efforts。　　After　long　years　of　toil；　he　had　at　length　attained　an　influential　position　in　the　country；　and　though　crippled　by　debts　incurred　in　the　struggle　for　freedom　of　speech；　and　living　in　absolute　penury；　he　was　one　of　the　most　powerful　men　of　the　day。

The　old　bookseller　had　very　truly　observed　that　there　was　more　good　in　him　than　people　thought；　he　was　in　fact　a　noble　character　twisted　the　wrong　way　by　clumsy　and　mistaken　handling。　　

Brian　Osmond　was　by　no　means　bigoted；　he　had　moreover；　known　those　who　were　intimate　with　Raeburn；　and　consequently　had　heard　enough　of　the　truth　about　him　to　disbelieve　the　gross　libels　which　were　constantly　being　circulated　by　the　unscrupulous　among　his　opponents。　　Still；　as　on　that　November　afternoon　he　watched　Raeburn　and　his　daughter　down　Southampton　Row；　he　was　conscious　that　for　the　first　time　he　fully　regarded　the　atheist　as　a　fellow…man。　　The　fact　was　that　Raeburn　had　for　long　years　been　the　champion　of　a　hated　cause；　he　had　braved　the　full　flood　of　opposition；　and　like　an　isolated　rock　had　been　the　mark　for　so　much　of　the　rage　and　fury　of　the　elements　that　people　who　knew　him　only　by　name　had　really　learned　to　regard　him　more　as　a　target　than　as　a　man。　　It　was　he　who　could　hit　hardest；　who　could　most　effectually　baffle　and　ruin　him；　while　the　quieter　spirits　contented　themselves　with　rarely　mentioning　his　obnoxious　name；　and　endeavoring　as　far　as　possible；　to　ignore　his　existence。　　Brian　felt　that　till　now　he　had　followed　with　the　multitude　to　do　evil。　　He　had；　as　far　as　possible；　ignored　his　existence；　had　even　been　rather　annoyed　when　his　father　had　once　publicly　urged　that　Raeburn　should　be　treated　with　as　much　justice　and　courtesy　and　consideration　as　if　he　had　been　a　Christian。　　He　had　been　vexed　that　his　father　should　suffer　on　behalf　of　such　a　man；　had　been　half　inclined　to　put　down　the　scorn　and　contempt　and　anger　of　the　narrow…minded　to　the　atheist's　account。　　The　feeling　had　perhaps　been　natural；　but　all　was　changed　now；　he　only　revered　his　father　all　the　more　for　having　suffered　in　an　unpopular　cause。　　With　some　eagerness；　he　went　back　into　the　shop　to　see　if　he　could　gather　any　more　particulars　from　the　old