d for blasphemy. The man had the right to his opinions,
and he had the courage of his opinions. I doubt whether the Rev.
Hampton-Evey would go with a willing heart to prison for his. All the
better for him if he comes head-up out of a trial. But now see: all
these parsons and judges and mobcaps insist upon conformity. A man with
common manly courage comes before them, and he's cast in penalties.
Yet we know from history, in England, France, Germany, that the time
of nonconformity brought out the manhood of the nation. Now, I say, a
nation, to be a nation, must have men--I mean brave men. That's what
those hosts of female men combine to try to stifle. They won't succeed,
but we shall want a war to teach the country the value of courage. You
catch what I am driving at? They accuse my brother of immorality because
he makes no pretence to be better than the men of his class."

Weyburn's eyelids fluttered. Her kite-like ascent into the general, with
the sudden drop on her choice morsel, switched his humour at the moment
when he was respectfully considering that her dartings and gyrations had
motive as mach as the flight of the swallow for food. They had meaning;
and here was one of the great ladies of the land who thought for
herself, and was thoughtful for the country. If she came down like a
bird winged, it was her love of her brother that did it. His look at
Lady Charlotte glistened.

She raised her defences against the basilisk fascinating Philippa;
and with a vow to keep them apart and deprive him of his chance, she
relapsed upon the stiff frigidity which was not natural to her. It
lasted long enough to put him on his guard under the seductions of a
noble dame's condescension to a familiar tone. But, as he was too well
bred to show the change in his mind for her change of manner, and as she
was the sister of his boyhood's hero, and could be full of flavour, his
eyes retained something of their sparkle. They were ready to lighten
again, in the way peculiar to him, when she, quite forgetting her
defence of Philippa, disburdened herself of her antagonisms and
enthusiasms, her hates and her loves all round the neighbourhood and
over the world, won to confidential communication by this young man's
face. She confessed as much, had he been guided to perceive it. She
said, "Arthur Abner's a reader of men: I can trust his word about them."

Presently, it is true, she added: "No man's to be relied upon where
there's a woman." S