Bride was silent for a while, looking out before her with a sweet sad smile upon her fair face. “It will not be achieved by such means,” she said quietly at last; “and yet, if men would but look to the Lord for help and deliverance, I truly believe He would show us the perfect way, and restore to us those things which are lacking in the order of our daily lives, of our worship, of our government. We know that the powers that be are ordained of God; but we have lost so much of His guidance. Yet I verily believe that if men would with one voice and one heart cry to Him for light and guidance, He would send it to them, even as in days of old. Is He not the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever? Though we have forsaken Him, yet He has not forsaken us. As He spoke by holy men of old, moved by His Spirit, so I truly believe He would speak again had men but faith to listen. But it is that which is always the stumbling-block--the hindrance. Men have lost their faith; they will not believe that God is still amongst them, even as of old--nay, far more truly and nearly than of old; for Christ is the living Head of His Church, and all who believe and are baptized are very members of His mystical Body. And yet we say He is far away, He has passed into the heavens, He is no more working with and amongst us, save through the workings of the Spirit in our hearts. But I feel so very, very sure that, would we let Him, He would fain be much more to us than that, as indeed He will be one day--in the day when the Kingdom shall be set up on earth.” Eustace drew a long breath. He, too, lying there in helplessness, and seeing much of the brightness of his early visions fade into dimness as he watched the course of events and learned to see more of the workings of this world, had come to think with a great longing of the coming Kingdom, when all that is vile and evil shall be done away, and when Christ Himself shall be revealed and rule in righteousness. Once that thought had seemed to him as the veriest vision of the mystic; now he had come to long for it himself with a great and increasing longing. Loving his fellow-men as he did, he yet loved the Lord more; and to see Him reigning over the world, and the misery and the sin all done away, was a prospect too bright and happy not to excite his ardent longings. Even in his satisfaction at the news just brought, he could yet think with calm hopefulness of the time when the crooked things should be made straight, and the rough places plain, and men should live together in peace and love, and strivings and hatred should be done away. “And until that day comes,” he said softly at last, “we shall do more to help our brethren by teaching them to look for the Kingdom of God and of His Christ, than by stirring up in their hearts desires after earthly good which perhaps may never be theirs.” Bride looked up with a sweet smile.