nterrupted him. "As a strong Protestant, Mr. Leicester," she
said, "I am not a believer in confessions, and I am sure I am not fitted
to be your confidante."

"You promised to listen to me, Miss Castlemaine," he said, "and I claim
the fulfilment of the promise. Believe me, I did not come here lightly,
neither am I speaking meaningless words. This afternoon will be a crisis
in my life, and if there is a God, He knows that I am as sincere as a
man can be."

Again she was silenced. The strength of the man's personality was,
although she did not know it, bending her will to his. On the other
hand, she was exercising no power of resistance, and she was interested
to know what he would say.

"I do not know that I am an atheist," he said. "Indeed, I have sometimes
a feeling at the back of my mind that there must be a God, and that this
life is only a fragment of life as a whole; but that is not often. That
is no wonder. I was brought up to believe that there was no God. I was
trained to distrust every one, and to look for evil motives in every
life. I believe my father meant to be kind in doing this for me; anyhow,
I am a result, at least in part, of his training. I never knew a
mother's care.

"Please do not misunderstand me; I am not growing maudlin nor
sentimental; I am simply stating facts. I went to Oxford, and while
there, my father's training was confirmed, accentuated. I suppose I had
abilities, and was informed when I took my degree that my career there
was--well, more than creditable. I did the usual thing when I was three
or four and twenty. I fell in love."

"Really, Mr. Leicester," said Olive, "there can be no----"

"It was the fancy of a boy," went on Radford, as if he had not heard
her, "and it did not last long. She jilted me in a very ordinary
fashion, and my heart-wounds were not deep. All it did, I think, was to
confirm my early impressions about woman's love. Since that time I have
avoided women. Yes, I speak quite sincerely, I have avoided them.
Despising them, I neglected seeking the society of women altogether. I
have lived mainly at my club, so that I might not be brought into
contact with them. You will naturally ask, if you are interested in me
at all, what I have lived for, I quite realise that every man must have
some motive power in life, some driving-force, and I have had mine. It
is very poor, very mean in your eyes, no doubt; but I will tell the
truth. My driving-power has been ambition.