; and so it appeals to
an heroic nature more."

"Yes, I see that," assented Doe.

Monty said nothing further for awhile, as if hoping we would declare
our decision without any prompting from him. But we were shy and
silent; and at last he asked:

"Well, what's the decision?"

"I'll come to you," I said, "if you'll show me how to do it all."

He replied nothing. I believe he was too happy to speak. Then he
turned to Doe.

"Gazelle, what about you?"

And Doe said one of those engaging things that only he could utter:

"I imagine I ought to do it for love of Our Lord. But s'posing I
know that isn't the real motive--s'posing I feel that someone has
been sent into my life to put it right, and I do it rather for--for
him?"

There Monty was beaten. Doe's meaning was too plain; and the rich
prize it threw at Monty's feet too overwhelming. The only answer he
could give was: "You must try and link it to love for the Higher
One."

"All right," said Doe, simply. "I'll try."

A silence of unusual length followed. The noise of the ship going
through the water, and the beat of the engines, assumed the monopoly
of sound. Doe and I were thinking of the thorny and troublesome path
of confession, which in a few days we must traverse. And Monty
indicated what his thoughts were by the remark with which he
prepared to close that night's conversation under the stars.

"The two cardinal dogmas of my faith are--"

"The Mass and confession," I volunteered, in a flash of impudence.

"Don't interrupt, you rude little cub. They are these. Just as there
is more beauty in nature than ugliness, so there is more goodness in
humanity than evil, and more happiness in the world than sorrow....

"Now and then one is allowed a joy that would outweigh years of
disappointment. You two pups have given me one of those joys
to-night. It's my task to make this voyage your Vigil; and a perfect
Vigil. It's all inexpressibly dear to me. I'm going to send you down
the gangway when you go ashore to this crusade--properly absolved by
your Church. I'm going to send you into the fight--_white_."

CHAPTER V

PENANCE

Sec.1

Upon the rail leaned Doe and I watching the waves break away from
the ship. It was morning, and we were troubled--troubled over the
awful difficulty of making our life confession on the morrow. Monty
had given much pains to preparing us. He had sat with each under the
awning on sunny days, and told him how to do it. W