"NO!" she said, with a depth of anger he
had not heard in her voice since that long-ago winter day when she
struck Eugene Bantry with her clenched fist. She swept over him a
blinding look of reproach. "How could I?"

And there, upon the steps of the church, in the sudden, dazzling vision
of her love, fell the burden of him who had made his sorrowful
pilgrimage across Main Street bridge that morning.

A manifold rustling followed them as they went down the aisle, and the
sibilance of many whisperings; but Joe was not conscious of that, as he
took his place in Ariel's pew beside her. For him there was only the
presence of divinity; the church was filled with it.

They rose to sing:

"Ancient of days, Who sittest, throned in glory,
To Thee all knees are bent, all voices pray;
Thy love has blest the wide world's wondrous story
With light and life since Eden's dawning day."

And then, as they knelt to pray, there were the white heads of the
three old friends of Eskew Arp; and beyond was the silver hair of
Martin Pike, who knelt beside his daughter. Joe felt that people
should be very kind to the Judge.

The sun, so eager without, came temperately through the windows, where
stood angels and saints in gentle colors, and the face of the young
minister in this quiet light was like the faces in the windows....

"Not only to confront your enemies," he said; "that is not enough; nor
is it that I would have you bluster at them, nor take arms against
them; you will not have to do that if, when they come at you, you do
not turn one inch aside, but with an assured heart, with good nature,
not noisily, and with steadfastness, you keep on your way. If you can
do that, I say that they will turn aside for you, and you shall walk
straight through them, and only laughter be left of their anger!"

There was a stir among the people, and many faces turned toward Joe.
Two years ago he had sat in the same church, when his character and
actions had furnished the underlying theme of a sermon, and he had
recognized himself without difficulty: to-day he had not the shadow of
a dream that the same thing was happening. He thought the people were
turning to look at Ariel, and he was very far from wondering at that.

She saw that he did not understand; she was glad to have it so. She
had taken off her gloves, and he was holding them lightly and
reverently in his hands, looking down upon them, his thin cheeks a
li