‘Yes,’ said Lady Venniker, ‘but it does not follow that you are the person who ought to do it. I cannot think that any preponderance of votes or opinions can alter the law of conscience for the individual. Ought not a statesman to say frankly what he thinks right, and, if something else is to be done, to let others do it?’ Impracticable, ideal vision of an invalid! ‘But Harry,’ said Miss Venniker, ‘will say what he thinks, and what he thinks will be right. All good people are Conservatives now.’ Gerald Eversley smiled. ‘If it is so,’ said Lady Venniker, ‘it is a bad thing for the country. There can be no greater misfortune than that the aristocracy of a country should be all on one side, even if it is the right side. For the aristocracy are the natural leaders of the people, and it is important that the leaders, whatever side they belong to, should have the same instincts and traditions of conduct, the same principles of action, the same moral feelings. If not, they have no common ground.’ ‘That is certainly true,’ said Gerald. ‘You cannot play any game--least of all the game of politics--without a certain conventional code of honour. If people who play a game are bound by nothing but the rules, it cannot be played. The conventions of society are worth more than its rules. Unscrupulous men will always evade rules, but a sense of honour is a law to itself.’ The subject of religion was not avoided among them. How could it be, when it entered so much into the lives of two of them? Miss Venniker spoke of it with perfect naturalness. Gerald Eversley never knew whether she was aware that he had been long troubled by religious doubts. At all events she never referred to them. But her own faith was unclouded, unsullied. It illumined and sanctified her life. She felt the Saviour to be not far off, but a present Friend. She spoke of Him as if He were at her side. She had no doubt at all that He could hear her prayers and help her. ‘I am sure,’ she said once, ‘that if mamma were to tell me something that seemed very strange and incredible I should believe it, for I should know she would not deceive me; how then can I help believing what Jesus Christ says? I am far more sure that He would never deceive me.’ ‘I wish I could feel all that you do,’ said Gerald. ‘You cannot prove goodness,’ she replied, ‘but you know it. Jesus Christ was very good. When He tells me about God, I can trust His word.’ ‘I will trust Him too,’ said Gerald. ‘Sometimes,’ she added, ‘when I pray, I seem to feel that He is very near me, so near that I can almost place my hand in His. Oh! what will it not be to see Him face to face and to be like Him! how sorry shall we be then that we ever doubted Him!’ If indeed the Saviour be present whenever a pure heart is lifted to His throne, He may well have been near to Ethel Venniker as she prayed.