I suppose," said Dr. Renthall.

"One can scarcely think about anything else," replied Bob. "I am all
at sea, Professor--simply all at sea. Oh! I confess it frankly--I
admit that I acted on impulse the other night. My one thought was to
master that fellow, and if I had been driven to extremes, I should have
stopped at nothing, to keep him from harming the woman. For the moment
there was no thought of love, no thought of brotherly feeling in my
heart, I simply yielded to the impulse of my nature. The man
threatened to kill his wife, and if I had not defended her I should
have been unworthy to be called a man. How does that square with
Christianity? Was I wrong?"

"I think you were right," said the Professor slowly. "Yes, I am sure
you were."

"Then, if I were right," replied Bob, "and Germany is acting in the
same spirit as that fellow was acting, is not England right in going to
war? We promised to defend the Belgians, and Germany with brutal
arrogance swept into their country."

"Yes," replied Renthall; "but would it not have been better for Belgium
to have acted on the spirit of non-resistance? If they had, Liege
would never have been bombarded. All the atrocities at Louvain would
never have been heard of."

"You mean, then," said Bob, "that they should have allowed a bully like
Germany to have swept through their country, without resistance, in
order that they might crush France? Don't you see? If it were right
for me to defend the woman against a brute; if I were right in knocking
down that fellow; if the police were right in taking them both to the
police station; if the Magistrates were right in sending them to
prison; was not England right in attacking Germany? Nay, was she not
acting in a Christian spirit in saying: 'This bully shall be crushed.'"

"Have you read the papers to-day?" asked the Professor.

"Yes."

"Did you come across that account of the correspondent who described
what he had seen on the stricken field? Did you get at the inwardness
of it all? You are a fellow with imagination, Nancarrow; didn't you
feel a ghastly terror of war?"

"Yes," replied Bob, "but that does not clear up the question.
Meanwhile, Germany is marching towards Paris and Lord Kitchener is
calling for more men. What ought I to do?"

"Read your New Testament," said the Professor, "remember the words of
our Lord just before He was crucified, 'My Kingdom is not of this
world, else would My servants f