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dignity, Mr. Masterman presently beat a retreat, not feeling quite
so well satisfied with himself as usual. His companion did not
allude directly to her change of views, but treated her with a sort
of pitying condescension, as if she had been a mild lunatic.
There was some sort of committee being held in the study that
evening. The next person to arrive was Professor Gosse and almost
immediately after came Mr. Harmston, a charming old man, whom Erica
had known from her childhood. They came in and had some coffee
before going into the study. Mrs. Craigie talked to Mr. Harmston.
Erica, looking her loveliest waited on them. Tom watched them all
philosophically from the hearth rug.
I am sorry to hear you have deserted your colors, said the
professor, looking more grave than she had ever seen him look
before. Then, his voice softening a little as he looked at her, I
expect it all comes of that illness of yours. I believe religion
is just an outgrowth of bad health mens sana in corpore sano, you
know. Never mind, you must still come to my workshop, and I shall
see if science won't reconvert you.
He moved away with his goodhumored, shaggylooking face, leaving
Erica to old Mr. Harmston.
I am much grieved to hear this of you, Erica, he said, lowering
his voice, and bringing his gray head near to hers as grieved as
if you were my own child. You will be a sore loss to us all.
Erica felt this keenly, for she was very fond of the old man.
Do you think it does not hurt me to grieve you all? she said,
piteously. But one must be honest.
Quite right, my dear, said the old man, but that does not make
our loss the less heavy. We had hoped great things of you, Erica.
It is grievous to me that you should have fallen back to the
miserable superstitions against which your father has fought so
bravely.
Come, Mr. Harmston, said the professor; we are late, I fancy.
And before Erica could make any reply Mrs. Craigie and the two
visitors had adjourned to the committee room, leaving her alone
with Tom.
Now, for two or three days Erica had been enduring Tom's coldness
and Mrs. Craigie's unceasing remonstrances; all the afternoon she
had been having a long and painful discussion with her friend, Mrs.
MacNaughton; this evening she had seen plainly enough what her
position would be for the future among all her old acquaintances,
and an aching sense of isolation filled her heart. She was just
going to run upstairs and yield to her longing for darkness and
quiet, when Tom called her back. She could not refuse to hear, for

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