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his child. You agree still to live together, and each try with all
your might to find all the possible points of union still left you.
Probably, if you are such a child as I imagine, you love your
father ten times more than you did before. Then just as you have
made up your mind to try to be more to him, when all you care about
in life is to comfort and help him, and when your heart is much
occupied with your new opinions, a friend of yours a secularist
comes to you, and says: 'A miserable life lies before you. The
atheists will never thoroughly take up with you while you live with
your father the archbishop, and of course it is wretched for you to
be surrounded by those of another creed. Come with me. I love you
I will make you happy, and save you from persecution.
In spite of himself Brian had smiled many times at this putting of
an Archbishop of Canterbury into the position of Luke Raeburn. But
the conclusion arrived at seemed to him to admit of only one
answer, and left him very grave.
You may be right, he said, very sadly. But to stand still and
watch her suffer
He broke off, unable to finish his sentence.
Charles Osmond took it up.
To stand still and watch her suffer will be the terribly hard work
of a brave man who takes a true, deep view. To rush in with offers
of help would be the work of an impetuous man who took a very
superficial view. If Erica were selfish, I would say go and appeal
to her selfishness, and marry her at once; for selfishness will
never do any good in Guilford Terrace. But she is one of the most
devoted women I know. Your appeal would be rejected. I believe
she will feel herself in the right place there, and, as long as
that is the case, nothing will move her.
Father, said Brian, rather desperately, I would take your
opinion before any other opinion in the world. You know her well
far better than I do. Tell me honestly do you think she could ever
love me?
You have given me a hard task, said Charles Osmond. But you
have asked for my honest opinion, and you must have it. As long as
her father lives I don't believe Erica will ever love a man well
enough to marry him. I remember, in my young days, a beautiful
girl in our neighborhood, the belle of the whole county; and years
went by, and she had countless offers, but she rejected them all.
People used to remonstrate with her, and ask her how it was. 'Oh,'

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