he words of Christ
and his Apostles, it was absolutely certain that neither churches or
churchmen, whatever their form of doctrine might be, could at the same
time be wealthy and powerful in the worldly sense, and remain anything
more than nominal Christians.

After the sermon Vane assisted Father Baldwin in the administration of
the Sacrament, and Carol and Rayburn took the elements from his hands;
Carol for the first time in her life, and Rayburn for the first time
since he had reached manhood. It was for them the consecration of their
new love and the new life which was to begin next day.

Dora, who had been present at the service and had remained through the
communion, had, greatly to the surprise of every one, and even to the
sorrow of Carol and Vane, refused steadily to partake. She would give no
reason, and therefore Carol quite correctly concluded that she had some
very sufficient one.

At ten the next morning, Vane married Carol and Rayburn. The ceremony
was as simple as the forms of the Church allowed, and absolutely
private. Sir Arthur gave Carol away, and Ernshaw acted as Rayburn's
best man. The only others present were Father Baldwin and Dora, and a
few of the usual idlers to whom a wedding of any sort is an irresistible
attraction, and who had no notion of the strangeness of the wooing and
the winning, or of the depth of the life-tragedy which was being brought
to such a happy ending in such simple fashion.

The only guests at the marriage-feast were Dora, Ernshaw, and Vane. It
was just a family party, as Sir Arthur called it, so the bride and
bridegroom were spared the giving and receiving of speeches. Never did a
greater change take place in a girl's life more simply and more quietly
than this tremendous, almost incredible change which took place in
Carol's, when, from being a nameless outcast beyond the pale of what is
more or less correctly termed respectable society, she became the wife
of a man who had wooed, and won her under such strange circumstances,
yet knowing everything, and the mistress of millions to boot.

When the brougham that was to take them to the station drew up at the
door, Rayburn put his hand on Vane's arm, and led him to the study.

"Maxwell," he said, as he shut the door, "I have done the best thing
to-day that a man can do. I have got a good wife, and----"

"You have done a great deal more than that, Rayburn," said Vane,
"infinitely more. I needn't tell you what it is, bu