t way?"

His quiet interrogations pierced her excitement as no opposition could
have done. Her next reply, when it came, was almost devoid of passion.

"I wish to study. I must have my time for that, not fritter it away on
managing servants and going to faculty dinners."

"To study what?"

Again she flung up her head, and her eyes glittered. Her voice, though,
was now under perfect control.

"To study my religion, to learn to know it through and through."

"I thought you knew it now."

She looked at him as from a measureless height of wisdom and
experience.

"Does one ever know the Infinite? Our belief can not be packed into a
neat bundle and tied up in the Apostles Creed. It is deeper than that,
and far, far wider. And then," and, to Brenton's astonishment, her face
lighted with a smile which was curiously akin to one of happy peace;
"and, in time, I shall do my best to prepare myself to be a Healer."

"Katharine!" Despite the peaceful smile which had heralded the
announcement, Brenton felt his whole nature recoiling from the thought.

"Why not?" she asked him swiftly. "You mean I am not worthy? Of course
not--yet. In time, though, it will come; in time, I shall be free from
thoughts such as have dragged me down into to-day's discussion. Not,
though, while I live with you as you are now. Not while I have the
daily friction of your unbelief and opposition. While these confront
me, I am tied down to the lower level; the hour has come when I know it
is my higher duty to go free. For that reason, I have told you this,
to-day. One has to make practical plans, even if it is to carry out
spiritual endeavours. There are things to arrange, before I go."

There came a little silence. Then,--

"You are really going?" Brenton asked.

"I am."

"When?"

"I promised to be in Boston, early in the week."

Again there came the silence. This time, it lasted until, with an
ostentatiously natural step, Katharine turned away and left the room.
Then, for an instant, Brenton stood staring after her. An instant
later, he had dropped down at his desk and buried his face within the
circle of his clasped arms, covering his ears to shut out the echo of
his wife's accusing words. He tried to drive off from his mind the ugly
question how far he himself had been blamable for this thing; how far
he might have steadied Katharine by forcing her to go with him into all
the secrets of his life. Instead, he tried to fix his mind upon th