high, dry atmosphere, those of the faith say. Don't you permit Clarke
to destroy your love of nature, Miss Lambert; you belong to the sane
and sunny world, and he has no right to bring his gloomy conceptions
home to you. You are too young and too naturally joyous to be
concerned with the problems of disease and death. You were made to be
happy."

He ended with greater earnestness than he had intended to use, and the
effect of his words on the girl was very great. She could not speak;
tears were in her eyes, and her bosom heaved most piteously. His sense
of her helplessness deepened, and he added, "Will you permit me to
talk to Mr. Clarke about you and your plans?"

This seemed to alarm her. "No, no!" she cried out, distressfully.
"Please don't say anything to him about me. It will do no good. You
don't understand, and I can't tell you," she added, breathlessly.

"Very well," he said, soothingly; "but, remember, your case interests
me exceedingly, and you may call on me at any time and I will gladly
help."

She turned a pale and tearful face towards him and extended her hand.

"I thank you very, very much. You _have_ helped me more than I can
say."

During the remainder of the ride he discussed the springs, the source
of the streams, the caverns, and other natural features of the scene,
and had the satisfaction of seeing her face in a smile before he left
her.

He went back to his hotel with a feeling of having spent six days in
her company rather than six hours. She absorbed his entire thought,
and so keen was his sense of her beleaguerment that he resolved to
call upon Clarke in order to define his character and to understand
his motives. "His passions or his doubt overshadow the girl's sky, and
I'm going to find out whether his designs are those of friend or
fiend." At the moment he had a feeling that they were those of a
devouring fiend.

VII

THE FORCES OF LIGHT AND DARKNESS

Clarke's church typified the decaying faith of its pastor. Grass was
serenely pushing up through the rotting planks of the walk which led
from the street to the basement "study" just as the natural goodness
and cheer of man returns to dominion through the barriers of custom.
The paint was blistering and peeling from the clap-boarding on the
sunny side of the main building, and in one of the windows a piece of
shingle had been set to repair a broken pane. It had the appearance of
neglected age.

"The preacher was right--