Erica was silent for a minute. When she spoke it was in the low voice of one who is struggling to restrain passion. “I am sure you mean this very kindly,” she said. “I have tried to listen to your offer patiently, though, of course, the moment you began, I knew that I must entirely emphatically, decline it. I will NEVER leave my father!” The last words were spoken with a sort of half-restrained outburst, as if the pent-up passion must find some outlet. Mr. Fane-Smith was startled. He so seldom thought of Luke Raeburn as a fellow-being at all that perhaps it had never occurred to him that the love of parent to child, and child to parent, is quite independent of creed. “But, my dear,” he said, “you have been baptized.” “I have.” “You promised to renounce the devil and all his works.” “I did.” “Then how can you hesitate to renounce everything connected with your former life?” “Do you mean to imply that my father is the devil or one of his works?” Mr. Fane-Smith was silent. Erica continued: “God's Fatherhood does not depend on our knowledge of it, or acceptance of it, it is a fact a truth! How then can any one dare to say that such a man as my farther is a work of the devil? I thought the sin of sins was to attribute to the devil what belongs to God!” “You are in a very peculiar position,” said Mr. Fane-Smith, uneasily. “And I have no doubt it is difficult for you to see things as they really are. But I, who can look at the matter dispassionately, can see that your remaining in your old home would be most dangerous, and not only that, but most painful! To live in a house where you hear all that you most reverence evil spoken of; why, the pain would be unspeakable!” “I know that,” said Erica, in a low voice, “I have found that I admit that it is and always will be harder to bear than any one can conceive who has not tried. But to shirk pain is not to follow Christ. As to danger, if you will forgive my saying so, I should find a luxurious life in a place like Greyshot infinitely more trying.” “Then could you not take up nursing? Or go into some sisterhood? Nothing extreme, you know, but just a working sisterhood.” Erica smiled, and shook her head. “Why should I try to make another vocation when God has already given me one?” “But, my dear, consider the benefit to your own soul.” “A very secondary consideration!” exclaimed Erica, impetuously. “I should have thought,” continued Mr. Fane-Smith, “that under such strange circumstances you would have seen how necessary it was to forsake all. Think of St. Matthew, for instance; he rose up at once, forsook all, and followed Him.” “Yes,” said Erica. “And what was the very first thing he was impelled to do by way of 'following?' Why, to make a great feast and have in all his old friends, all the despised publicans.”