God himself that alone got them out of
the prison of their theories. But gladly would I see discomfited such
as, receiving those inventions at the hundredth hand, and moved by none
of the fervour with which they were first promulgated, lay, as the word
and will of God, lumps of iron and heaps of dust upon live, beating,
longing hearts that cry out after their God!"

"Oh, I do hope what you say is true!" panted Arctura. "I think I shall
die if I find it is not!"

"If you find what I tell you untrue, it will only be that it is not
grand and free and bounteous enough. To think anything too good to be
true, is to deny God--to say the untrue may be better than the
true--that there might be a greater God than he. Remember, Christ is in
the world still, and within our call."

"I will think of what you tell me," said Arctura, holding out her hand.

"If anything in particular troubles you," said Donal, "I shall be most
glad to help you if I can; but it is better there should not be much
talking. The thing lies between you and your Father."

With these words he left her. Arctura followed slowly to the house, and
went straight to her room, her mind filling as she went with
slow-reviving strength and a great hope. No doubt some of her relief
came from the departure of her incubus friend; but that must soon have
vanished in fresh sorrow, save for the hope and strength to which this
departure yielded the room. She trusted that by the time she saw her
again she would be more firmly grounded concerning many things, and
able to set them forth aright. She was not yet free of the notion that
you must be able to defend your convictions; she scarce felt at liberty
to say she believed a thing, so long as she knew an argument against it
which she could not show to be false. Alas for our beliefs if they go
no farther than the poor horizon of our experience or our logic, or any
possible wording of the beliefs themselves! Alas for ourselves if our
beliefs are not what we shape our lives, our actions, our aspirations,
our hopes, our repentances by!

Donal was glad indeed to hope that now at length an open door stood
before the poor girl. He had been growing much interested in her, as
one on whom life lay heavy, one who seemed ripe for the kingdom of
heaven, yet in whose way stood one who would neither enter herself, nor
allow her to enter that would. She was indeed fit for nothing but the
kingdom of heaven, so much was she already the chil