She had often wished that her husband was not so preoccupied, and had more thought for the small things of life which make all the difference to its comfort. But though she felt that the things of which she complained in her heart were so insignificant compared to the great matters about which Luke was engaged, she had no idea that his preoccupation and absentness of mind were often caused by the fact that he had either lost or won a spiritual battle. He was thankful now that he had spent so much time in facing the doubts and difficulties that he had met with in the course of his reading, so that the two quiet days enabled him to prepare the subject in such a way as to make the truth plain to his men. On the night of the meeting Rachel found it rather hard to occupy her thoughts with anything but the great strain which she knew Luke was passing through. He was late home and to turn her mind from that which was making her anxious she sat down to the piano and sang. She was just finishing her song when she heard the front door open. She sat still in her suspense, expecting Luke to come at once into the drawing-room. But instead, she heard him going upstairs to his study, and walking heavily as if he was tired. For some moments she sat still where she was, then she followed him. But at the study door she stopped. Was that Luke groaning? Was he ill? She very softly opened the door and looked in. Luke was on his knees, his arms on the writing table and his face buried in them. He was praying out loud. Rachel closed the door and went downstairs again. Her heart was heavy, and anxious. She knew that his habit was to pray out loud; but his prayer to-night was mingled with groans and probably tears. What had happened? Rachel moved restlessly about the room. Her impulse was to go to the piano, and soothe her anxiety by playing. But she was afraid of disturbing Luke. Then she took up her work and sat waiting. It was late before she heard him coming down the stairs. His face bore no trace of the anguish he had apparently been going through. He came and sat down by Rachel's side without speaking. "Well?" she said. He was silent for a moment, then he said: "I have never had such a fight with evil as to-night. I feel sure that the Devil is working with all his might to destroy any good that may have been done." "What happened?" "We have been discussing for nearly three hours the articles of our faith. The men had primed themselves with all the arguments they could lay hold of against them. The Divinity of our Lord, the Virgin Birth, the Resurrection; and the very men who I had hoped were on the eve of making the great decision have been thrown back." "But there were surely some who were helped by your words?"