'Our family have been Independents from all time. But my father married a second wife, belonging to the Church of England. She won him over to her way of thinking. I was the only child of the first marriage; and when I came home from India I found a houseful of younger brothers and sisters, all belonging, of course, to the Establishment, and my father with them. I was a kind of outlaw. The advancement of the family was thought to depend very much on the stand I would take, as after my father's death I would be the head of the family. At least my stepmother made that a handle for her schemes; and she drove them so successfully that at last my father declared he would disinherit me if I refused to join him.' 'In being a Church of England man?' 'Yes.' 'But, papa, that was very unjust!' 'So I thought. But the injustice was done.' 'And you disinherited?' 'Yes.' 'Oh, papa! Just because you followed your own conscience!' 'Just because I held to the traditions of the family. We had _always_ been Independents--fought with Cromwell and suffered under the Stuarts. I was not going to turn my back on a glorious record like that for any possible advantages of place and favour.' 'What advantages, papa? I do not understand. You spoke of that before.' 'Yes,' said the colonel a little bitterly, 'in that particular my stepmother was right. You little know the social disabilities under which those lie in England who do not belong to the Established Church. For policy, nobody should be a Dissenter.' 'Dissenter?' echoed Esther, the word awaking a long train of old associations; and for a moment her thoughts wandered back to them. 'Yes,' the colonel went on; 'my father bade me follow him; but with more than equal right I called on him to follow a long line of ancestors. Rather hundreds than one!' 'Papa, in such a matter surely conscience is the only thing to follow,' said Esther softly. 'You do not think a man ought to be either Independent or Church of England, just because his fathers have set him the example?' 'You do not think example and inheritance are anything?' said the colonel. 'I think they are everything, for the right;--most precious!--but they cannot decide the right. _That_ a man must do for himself, must he not?' 'Republican doctrine!' said the colonel bitterly. 'I suppose, after I am gone, you will become a Church of England woman, just to prove to yourself and others that you are not influenced by me!' 'Papa,' said Esther, half laughing, 'I do not think that is at all likely; and I am sure you do not. And so that was the reason you came away?'