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　wife。　　Even　if　I　could　return　your　love；　which　I　can　not；　it　could　never　be　right。　　People　are　so　prejudiced　that　the　connection　of　our　names　might　greatly　injure　your　public　work；　and；　besides；　you　could　not　live　in　the　circle　in　which　I　live；　and　nothing　could　ever　make　it　right　for　me　to　leave　my　own　people。　　I　can　not　write　as　I　should　like　to　I　can　not　say　what　I　would；　or　thank　you　as　I　would　but　please　understand　me；　and　believe　me　yours　very　sincerely；　Erica　Raeburn。〃

Strange　enough　the　writing　of　that　letter；　the　realization　of　the　impossibility　of　accepting　Leslie　Cunningham's　offer；　opened　out　to　Erica　a　new　region；　started　her　upon　a　new　stage　of　her　life　progress。　　In　spite　of　her　trouble　at　the　thought　of　the　pain　she　must　give；　there　was　an　indefinable　sense　that　life　and　love　meant　much　more　than　she　had　hitherto　dreamed　of；　and；　though　for　the　next　few　days　she　was　a　little　grave　and　silent；　there　rang　in　her　ears　the　refrain：

〃Oh；　life；　oh；　beyond；　Thou　art　strange；　thou　art　sweet。〃

She　was　not　sorry　that　her　visit　was　drawing　to　a　close；　although　the　last　week　had　gone　much　more　smoothly。　　Her　vigorous　nature　began　to　long　to　return　to　the　working　day　world；　and　though　she　could　very　honestly　thank　Mr。　Fane…Smith　for　his　kindness；　she　turned　her　back　on　his　house　with　unmixed　satisfaction。

〃And　you　cannot　change　your　ind　as　to　my　suggestion？〃　he　asked　sending　off　one　parting　arrow。

〃I　can　not；〃　said　Erica；　firmly；　〃he　is　my　father。〃

〃You　must　of　course　make　your　own　choice；〃　he　said　with　a　sigh。　　〃But　you　are　sadly　wrong；　sadly　wrong！　　In　my　opinion　your　father　is〃

〃Forgive　me　for　interrupting　you；〃　said　Erica；　〃but　by　your　own　showing　you　have　no　right　to　have　any　opinion　whatever　about　my　father。　　Until　you　have　either　learned　to　know　him　personally；　heard　him　speak；　or　fairly　and　carefully　studied　his　writings；　you　have　no　grounds　to　form　an　opinion　upon。〃

〃But　the　current　opinion　is〃

〃The　current　opinion　is　no　more　an　opnion　than　yours！　　It　is　the　view　of　most　bitter　opponents。　　And；　candidly；　WOULD　you　accept　the　current　opinion　held　of　any　prominent　statesman　by　his　adversaries？　　Why；　the　best　men　living　are　represented　as　fiends　in　human　shape　by　their　enemies！　　And　if　this　is　so　in　political　matters；　how　much　more　in　such　a　case　as　my　father's！〃

Mr。　Fane…Smith；　who　was　a　well…meaning　though　narrow　man；　sighed　again；　it　was　always　very　painful　to　him　to　listen　to　views　which　did　not　coincide　with　his　own。

〃Well；〃　he　said　at　length；　〃there　is；　after　all；　the　hope　that　you　may　convert　him。〃

〃I　hope　you　do　not　want　me　to　turn　into　one　of　those　hateful　little　prigs；　who　go　about　lamenting　over　their　unregenerate　parents；〃　said　Erica；　naughtily。　　Then；　softening　down；　she　added；　〃I　think　I　know　what　you　mean　perhaps　I　was　wrong　to　speak　like　that；　only　somehow；　knowing　what　my　father　is；　it　does　grate　so　to　put　it　in　that　way。　But　don't　think　I　would　not　give　my　life　for　him　to　come　to　the　light　here　and　now　for　I　would！　I　would！〃

She　clasped　her　hands　tightly　together；　and　turned　quickly　away。

Mr。　Fane…Smith　was　touched。

〃Well；　my　dear；〃　he　said。　　〃You　may　be　right；　after　all；　and　I　may　be　wrong。　　All　my　anxiety　is　only　for　your　ultimate　good。〃

The　train　was　on　the　point　of　starting；　he　gave　her　a　warm　hand　shake；　and　in　spite　of　all　that　jarred　in　their　respective　natures；　Erica　ended　by　liking　him　the　best　of　her　new　relations。


CHAPTER　XXX。　Slander　Leaves　a　Slur

For　slander　lives　upon　succession；　Forever　housed；　where　it　once　gets　possession。　　Comedy　of　Errors。

Not　out　of　malice；　but　mere　zeal；　Because　he　was　an　infidel。　　Hudibras

〃Blessed　old　London；　how　delightful　it　is　to　come　back　to　it！〃　exclaimed　Erica；　as　she　and　Tom　drove　home　from　Paddington　on　the　afternoon　of　her　return　from　Greyshot。　　〃Tell　the　man　not　to　go　through　the　back　streets；　there's　a　good　boy！　　Ah；　he's　doing　it　of　his　own　accord！　　Why；　the　park　trees　are　much　browner　than　the　Mountshire　ones！〃

〃We　have　been　prophesying　all　manner　of　evil　about　your　coming　back；〃　said　Tom　looking　her　over　critically　from　head　to　foot。　　〃I　believe　mother　thought　you　would　never　come　that　the　good　Christians　down　at　Greyshot　having　caught　you　would　keep　you；　and　even　the　chieftain　was　the　least　bit　in　the　world　uneasy。〃

〃Nonsense；〃　said　Erica；　laughing；　〃he　knows　better。〃

〃But　they　did　want　to　keep　you？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃How　did　you　get　out　of　it？〃

〃Said；　'Much　obliged　to　you；　but　I'd　rather　not。'　　Enacted　Mrs。　Micawber；　you　know；　'I　never　will；　no　I　never　will　leave　Mr。　Micawber。'〃

〃Mr。　Fane…Smith　must　have　been　a　brute　ever　to　have　proposed　such　a　thing！〃

〃Oh；　no！　　Not　at　all！　　Within　certain　limits　he　is　a　kind…hearted　man；　only　he　is　one　of　those　who　believe　in　that　hateful　saying；　'Men　without　the　knowledge　of　God　are　cattle。'　　And；　believing　that；　would　treat　atheists　as　I　should　be　sorry　to　treat　Friskarina。〃

〃And　what　is　the　world　of　Greyshot　like？〃

〃It　is　very　lukewarm　about　public　questions；　and　very　boiling　hot　about　its　own　private　affairs；〃　said　Erica。　　〃But　I　have　learned　now　how　people　in　society　can　go　on　contentedly　living　their　easy　lives　in　the　midst　of　such　ignorance　and　misery。　　They　never　investigate；　and　when　any　painful　instance　is　alluded　to；　they　say；　〃Oh！　　But　it　CAN'T　be　true！'　　The　other　day　they　were　speaking　of　Kingsley's　pamphlet；　'Cheap　clothes　and　nasty；'　and　one　lady　said　that　was　quite　an　evil　of　the　past；　that　the　difficulty　nowadays　was　to　get　things　at　reasonable　prices。　　When　I　told　her　that　women　only　get　twopence　for　doing　all　the　machine　work　of　an　ulster；　and　have　to　provide　their　machine；　cotton；　food；　light；　and　fuel；　she　exclaimed；　'Oh；　that　is　incredible！　　It　must　be　exaggerated！　　Such　things　couldn't　be　now！'　　When　Aunt　Isabel　heard　that　I　had　known　cases　of　men　being　refused　admission　to　a　hospital　supported　by　public　subscriptions；　on　the　ground　of　their　atheism；　she　said　it　was　impossible。　　And　as　to　physical　ill　treatment；　or；　in　fact；　any　injustice　having　ever　been　shown　by　Christian　to　atheist；　she　would　not　hear　of　it。　　It　was　always　'My　dear；　the　atmosphere　in　which　you　have　lived　has　distorted　your　vision；'　or；　'You　have　been　told；　my　dear；　that　these　things　were　so！'　　To　tell　her　that　they　were　facts　which　could　be　verified　was　not　the　smallest　good；　for　she　wouldn't　so　much　as　touch　any　publication　connected　with　secularism。〃

〃None　are　so　blind　as　those　who　will　not　see；〃　said　Tom。　　〃They　will　go　on　in　this　way　till　some　great　national　crisis；　some　crash　which　they　can't　ignore；　wakes　them　up　from　their　comfortable　state。　　'It　can't　be　true；'　is　no　doubt　a　capital　narcotic。〃

〃Father　is　at　home；　I　suppose？　　How　do　you　think　he　is？〃

〃Oh；　very　well；　but　fearfully　busy。　　The　'Miracles'　trial　will　probably　come　on　in　November。〃

Erica　sighed。　　There　was　a　silence。　　She　looked　out　rather　sadly　at　the　familiar　Oxford　Street　shops。

〃You　have　not　come　back　approving　of　the　Blasphemy　Laws；　I　hope？〃　said　Tom；　misinterpreting　her　sigh。

Her　eyes　flashed。

〃Of　course　not！〃　she　said；　emphatically。

〃Mr。　Osmond　has；　as　usual；　been　getting　into　hot　water　for　speaking　a　word　on　the　chieftain's　behalf。〃

〃Did　he　speak？　　I　am　glad　of　that；〃　said　Erica；　brightening。　　〃I　expect　Mr。　Pogson's　conduct　will　stir　up　a　good　many　liberal　Christians　into　showing　their　disapproval　of　bigotry　and　injustice。　　Ah！　　Here　is　the　dear　old　square！　　The　statue　looks　ten　degrees　moldier　than　when　I　left！〃

In　fact　everything　looked；　as　Erica　expressed　it；　〃moldier！〃　　〃Persecution　Alley；〃　the　lodging　house；　the　very　chairs　and　tables　seemed　to　obtrude　their　shabbiness　upon　her。　　Not　that　she　cared　in　the　least；　for；　however　shabby；　it　was　home　the　home　that　she　had　longed　for　again　and　again　in　the　luxury　and　ease　of　Greyshot。

Raeburn　looked　up　from　a　huge　law　book　as　she　opened　the　door　of　his　study。

〃Why；　little　son　Eric！〃　he　exclaimed。　　〃You　came　so　quietly　that　I　never　heard　you。　　Glad　to　have　you　home　again；　my　child！　　The　room　looks　as　if　it　needed　you；　doesn't　it？〃

Erica　laughed　for　the　study　was　indeed　in　a　state　of　chaos。　　Books　were　stacked　up　on　the　floor；　on　the　mantel　piece；　on　the　chairs；　on　the　very　steps　of　the　book　ladder。　　The　writing　table　was　a　sea　of　papers；　periodicals；　proofs；　and　manuscripts；　upon　which　there　floated　with　much　difficulty　Raeburn's　writing　desk　and　the　book　he　was　reading；　some　slight　depression　in　the　surrounding　mass　of　papers　showing　where　his　elbows　had　been。

〃About　equal　to　Teufelsdroch's　room；　isn't　it？〃　he　said；　smiling。　　〃Everything　united　in　a　common　element　of　dust。'　　But；　really；　after　the　first　terrible　day　of　your　absence；　when　I　wasted　at　least　an　hour　in　hunting　for　things　which　the　tidy　domestic　had　carefully　hidden；　I　could　stand　it　no　longer；　and　gave　orders　that　no　one　was　to　bring　brush　or　duster　or　spirit　of　tidiness　within　the　place。〃

〃We　really　must　try　to　get　you　a　larger　room；〃　said　Erica；　looking　round。　　〃How　little　and　poky　everything　looks。〃

〃Has　Greyshot　made　you　discontented？〃

〃Only　for　you；〃　she　replied；　laughing。　　〃I　was　thinking　of　Mr。　Fane…Smith's　great　study；　it　seems　such　a　pity　that　five　foot　three；　with　few　books　and　nothing　to　do；　should