“True, God’s love is so beautiful and infinite, and His patience with His erring children so inexhaustible, that He will do everything in His power to lead their hearts to Him. We are taught and entreated throughout the Bible to seek _first_ the kingdom of heaven; to give the whole of our strength, and mind, and heart, and soul to God in loving submission; to be living members of His Body first, and then members one of another; but as though He would make provision for the weakness and frailty of the flesh, and the infirmity and lack of faith in human nature, we find here and there just such loving touches as show us that our Father will lead us to Himself by every possible means; that love for our brethren shall be a stepping-stone, if used aright, towards that higher and holier love; though perhaps the truer meaning of the words is to teach us that no love for God can be really pure and sincere if it does not carry with it love for our brethren too. The greater must embrace the less; and a man cannot truly love God who is in bitterness with the brethren.” They rode along in silence for a time then, each thinking deeply. Mr. St. Aubyn was the first to speak. “Mr. Marchmont has left you then?” “Yes, he started for London this morning.” “I knew it was to be soon. He came to say good-bye a few days ago. I was greatly pleased by the talk we had on that occasion.” Bride looked up quickly. “I did not know Eustace had been to see you.” “Yes, he came and sat above two hours with me. We had a most interesting conversation. I almost wish you had been there to hear.” Bride was silent. She would not ask the nature of the conversation. She knew that Mr. St. Aubyn would tell her all that he felt at liberty to reveal. Presently he spoke again, a slight smile playing on his lips. “Long ago, as you know, we had a talk, part of which you overheard, in which Mr. Marchmont betrayed how deeply the philosophy of the destructive rationalists had eaten into his soul. I told him then that he would never be able to rest where he was; that even the philosophers and students who had been so glad to destroy were already finding rest impossible, and were beginning a constructive form of rationalism, in which scope was allowed for an objective as well as a subjective Divinity, and a semblance of Christian faith creeping back, because men invariably find at last that they cannot do without it, although they too often content themselves with half-truths, or very small fragments of the whole truth. Well, he did not agree with me then; but it is wonderful what this year has done for his spiritual life. It is like talking to another man. It was wonderfully inspiring to mark the work of the Spirit in that heart. But I dare say you have found that out for yourself.” There were tears of joy in Bride’s eyes. She did not turn her head as she answered-- “I have hoped so--I have thought so; but I have been afraid to ask or to hope too much.”