ection of
the Christian Church should be met."

"The Roman Catholics?"

"If they care to avail themselves of it."

John Castlemaine laughed quietly.

"You have large ideas, Olive," he said, "but such a scheme as you
mention would need an indefatigable secretary, one who would give a
great deal of time and labour to it."

"I would see to that, father."

"What! do you mean that you would superintend the whole affair?"

"Yes."

Mr. Castlemaine looked at her steadily.

"I do not say your scheme is impossible, Olive," he said. "It would cost
a great deal of money; but that fact should not stand in the way. I can
see, too, that no man should own such a place as this, and then
selfishly reserve it all to himself. What is more, I feel sure that you
could make it a great success, in the best sense of the word; but I see
one almost insurmountable difficulty."

"And that?"

"Well, to begin with, such an affair should have one controlling hand,
one controlling mind. While yours was the controlling hand, and the
controlling mind, all would be well; but presently you would not be able
to give the necessary time and attention, and then the thing would
become a matter of committeeism, and paid secretaryism, which would be
utterly out of accord with my ideas."

"But why should I not continue to give the necessary amount of time and
attention?"

"Well, for example, you might get married."

Her face became as pale as death.

"I shall never marry," she said.

"Nonsense!"

"I shall never marry," she repeated.

"You do not mean that you regard yourself as bound by that mad promise
to Leicester?"

She was silent, but she nodded her head in assent.

"But, Olive, this would be madness. The man is dead--a suicide. Even
although the promise were valid had he lived, it has no meaning now he
is dead."

"Yes, it has," she said.

An angry look shot from John Castlemaine's eyes. The girl's
determination was so absurd that he had difficulty in keeping himself
from speaking impatiently. He kept silence, however. He reflected that
the tragic death of Leicester was so recent, that Olive's mind was in a
morbid condition.

"Anyhow, I'll think over what you say, Olive," he said kindly. "I
imagine, moreover, that I shall do what you say. Even if the scheme
fails, it will be a splendid failure, and I do not think it will land us
either in the workhouse or the bankruptcy court."

A few weeks later Olive was busy examining arch