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He　put　down　the　book；　and　they　moved　on　together；　but　had　not　gone　many　paces　before　they　were　stopped　by　a　most　miserable…looking　beggar　child。　　Brian　standing　now　outside　the　shop；　saw　and　heard　all　that　passed。

Raeburn　was　evidently　investigating　the　case；　Erica；　a　little　impatient　of　the　interruption；　was　remonstrating。

〃I　thought　you　never　gave　to　beggars；　and　I　am　sure　that　harrowing　story　is　made　up。〃

〃Very　likely；〃　replied　the　father；　〃but　the　hunger　is　real；　and　I　know　well　enough　what　hunger　is。　　What　have　you　here？〃　he　added；　indicating　the　paper　bag　which　Erica　held。

〃Scones；〃　she　said；　unwillingly。

〃That　will　do；〃　he　said；　taking　them　from　her　and　giving　them　to　the　child。　　〃He　is　too　young　to　be　anything　but　the　victim　of　another's　laziness。　　There！　　Sit　down　and　eat　them　while　you　can。〃

The　child　sat　down　on　the　doorstep　with　the　bag　of　scones　clasped　in　both　hands；　but　he　continued　to　gaze　after　his　benefactor　till　he　had　passed　out　of　sight；　and　there　was　a　strange　look　of　surprise　and　gratification　in　his　eyes。　　That　was　a　man　who　knew！　　Many　people　had；　after　hard　begging；　thrown　him　pence；　many　had　warned　him　off　harshly；　but　this　man　had　looked　straight　into　his　eyes；　and　had　at　once　stopped　and　questioned　him；　had　singled　out　the　one　true　statement　from　a　mass　of　lies；　and　had　given　him　not　a　stale　loaf　with　the　top　cut　off；　a　suspicious　sort　of　charity　which　always　angered　the　waifbut　his　own　food；　bought　for　his　own　consumption。　　Most　wonderful　of　all；　too；　this　man　knew　what　it　was　to　be　hungry；　and　had　even　the　insight　and　shrewdness　to　be　aware　that　the　waif's　best　chance　of　eating　the　scones　at　all　was　to　eat　them　then　and　there。　　For　the　first　time　a　feeling　of　reverence　and　admiration　was　kindled　in　the　child's　heart；　he　would　have　done　a　great　deal　for　his　unknown　friend。

Raeburn　and　Erica　had　meanwhile　walked　on　in　the　direction　of　Guilford　Square。

〃I　had　bought　them　for　you；〃　said　Erica；　reproachfully。

〃And　I　ruthlessly　gave　them　away；〃　said　Raeburn；　smiling。　　〃That　was　hard　lines；　I　though　they　were　only　household　stock。　　But　after　all　it　comes　to　the　same　thing　in　the　end；　or　better。　　You　have　given　them　to　me　by　giving　them　to　the　child。　　Never　mind；　'Little　son　Eric！'〃

This　was　his　pet　name　for　her；　and　it　meant　a　great　deal　to　them。　　She　was　his　only　child；　and　it　had　at　first　been　a　great　disappointment　to　every　one　that　she　was　not　a　boy。　　But　Raeburn　had　long　ago　ceased　to　regret　this；　and　the　nickname　referred　more　to　Erica's　capability　of　being　both　son　and　daughter　to　him；　able　to　help　him　in　his　work　and　at　the　same　time　to　brighten　his　home。　　Erica　was　very　proud　of　her　name；　for　she　had　been　called　after　her　father's　greatest　friend；　Eric　Haeberlein；　a　celebrated　republican；　who　once　during　a　long　exile　had　taken　refuge　in　London。　　His　views　were　in　some　respects　more　extreme　than　Raeburn's；　but　in　private　life　he　was　the　gentlest　and　most　fascinating　of　men；　and　had　quite　won　the　heart　of　his　little　namesake。

As　Mrs。　Raeburn　had　surmised；　Erica's　father　had　at　once　seen　that　something　had　gone　wrong　that　day。　　The　all…observing　eyes；　which　had　noticed　the　hungry　look　in　the　beggar　child's　face；　noticed　at　once　that　his　own　child　had　been　troubled。

〃Something　has　vexed　you；〃　he　said。　　〃What　is　the　matter；　Erica？〃

〃I　had　rather　not　tell　you；　father；　it　isn't　anything　much；〃　said　Erica；　casting　down　her　eyes　as　if　all　at　once　the　paving　stones　had　become　absorbingly　interesting。

〃I　fancy　I　know　already；〃　said　Raeburn。　　〃It　is　about　your　friend　at　the　High　School；　is　it　not。　　I　thought　so。　　This　afternoon　I　had　a　letter　from　her　father。〃

〃What　does　he　say？　　May　I　see　it？〃　asked　Erica。

〃I　tore　it　up；〃　said　Raeburn；　〃I　thought　you　would　ask　to　see　it；　and　the　thing　was　really　so　abominably　insolent　that　I　didn't　want　you　to。　　How　did　you　hear　about　it？〃

〃Gertrude　wrote　me　a　note；〃　said　Erica。

〃At　her　father's　dictation；　no　doubt；〃　said　Raeburn；　〃I　should　know　his　style　directly；　let　me　see　it。〃

〃I　thought　it　was　a　pity　to　vex　you；　so　I　burned　it；〃　said　Erica。

Then；　unable　to　help　being　amused　at　their　efforts　to　save　each　other；　they　both　laughed；　though　the　subject　was　rather　a　sore　one。

〃It　is　the　old　story；〃　said　Raeburn。　　〃Life　only；　as　Pope　Innocent　III　benevolently　remarked；　'is　to　be　left　to　the　children　of　misbelievers；　and　that　only　as　an　act　of　mercy。'　　You　must　make　up　your　mind　to　bear　the　social　stigma；　child。　　Do　you　see　the　moral　of　this？〃

〃No；〃　said　Erica；　with　something　between　a　smile　and　a　sigh。

〃The　moral　of　it　is　that　you　must　be　content　with　your　own　people；〃　said　Raeburn。　　〃There　is　this　one　good　point　about　persecution　it　does　draw　us　all　nearer　together；　really　strengthens　us　in　a　hundred　ways。　　So；　little　one；　you　must　forswear　school　friends；　and　be　content　with　your　'very　strong　man　Kwasind；'　and　we　will

〃'Live　in　peace　together　Speak　with　naked　hearts　together。'

By　the　bye；　it　is　rather　doubtful　if　Tom　will　be　able　to　come　to　the　lecture　tonight；　do　you　think　you　can　take　notes　for　me　instead？〃

This　was　in　reality　the　most　delicate　piece　of　tact　and　consideration；　for　it　was；　of　course；　Erica's　delight　and　pride　to　help　her　father。


CHAPTER　II。　From　Effect　to　Cause

Only　the　acrid　spirit　of　the　times；　Corroded　this　true　steel。　　Longfellow。

Not　Thine　the　bigot's　partial　plea；　Not　Thine　the　zealot's　ban；　Thou　well　canst　spare　a　love　of　Thee　Which　ends　in　hate　of　man。　　Whittier。

Luke　Raeburn　was　the　son　of　a　Scotch　clergyman　of　the　Episcopal　Church。　　His　history；　though　familiar　to　his　own　followers　and　to　them　more　powerfully　convincing　than　many　arguments　against　modern　Christianity；　was　not　generally　known。　　The　orthodox　were　apt　to　content　themselves　with　shuddering　at　the　mention　of　his　name；　very　few　troubled　themselves　to　think　or　inquire　how　this　man　had　been　driven　into　atheism。　　Had　they　done　so　they　might；　perhaps；　have　treated　him　more　considerately；　at　any　rate　they　must　have　learned　that　the　much…disliked　prophet　of　atheism　was　the　most　disinterested　of　men；　one　who　had　the　courage　of　his　opinions；　a　man　of　fearless　honesty。

Raeburn　had　lost　his　mother　very　early；　his　father；　a　well…to…do　man；　had　held　for　many　years　a　small　living　in　the　west　of　Scotland。　　He　was　rather　a　clever　man；　but　one…sided　and　bigoted；　cold…hearted；　too；　and　caring　very　little　for　his　children。　　Of　Luke；　however；　he　was；　in　his　peculiar　fashion；　very　proud；　for　at　an　early　age　the　boy　showed　signs　of　genius。　　The　father　was　no　great　worker；　though　shrewd　and　clever；　he　had　no　ambition；　and　was　quietly　content　to　live　out　his　life　in　the　retired　little　parsonage　where；　with　no　parish　to　trouble　him；　and　a　small　and　unexacting　congregation　on　Sundays；　he　could　do　pretty　much　as　he　pleased。　　But　for　his　son　he　was　ambitious。　　Ever　since　his　sixteenth　yearwhen；　at　a　public　meeting　the　boy　had；　to　the　astonishment　of　every　one；　suddenly　sprung　to　his　feet　and　contradicted　a　false　statement　made　by　a　great　landowner　as　to　the　condition　of　the　cottages　on　his　estatethe　father　had　foreseen　future　triumphs　for　his　son。　　For　the　speech；　though　unpremeditated；　was　marvelously　clever；　and　there　was　a　power　in　it　not　to　be　accounted　for　by　a　certain　ring　of　indignation；　it　was　the　speech　of　a　future　orator。

Then；　too；　Luke　had　by　this　time　shown　signs　of　religious　zeal；　a　zeal　which　his　father；　though　far　from　attempting　to　copy；　could　not　but　admire。　　His　Sunday　services　over；　he　relapsed　into　the　comfortable；　easy…going　life　of　a　country　gentleman　for　the　rest　of　the　week；　but　his　son　was　indefatigable；　and；　though　little　more　than　a　boy　himself；　gathered　round　him　the　roughest　lads　of　the　village；　and　by　his　eloquence；　and　a　certain　peculiar　personal　fascination　which　he　retained　all　his　life；　absolutely　forced　them　to　listen　to　him。　　The　father　augured　great　things　for　him；　and　invariably　prophesied　that　he　would　〃live　to　see　him　a　bishop　yet。〃

It　was　a　settled　thing　that　he　should　take　Holy　Orders；　and　for　some　time　Raeburn　was　only　too　happy　to　carry　out　his　father's　plans。　　In　his　very　first　term　at　Cambridge；　however；　he　began　to　feel　doubts；　and；　becoming　convinced　that　he　could　never　again　accept　the　doctrines　in　which　he　had　been　educated；　he　told　his　father　that　he　must　give　up　all　thought　of　taking　Orders。

Now；　unfortunately；　Mr。　Raeburn　was　the　very　last　man　to　understand　or　sympathize　with　any　phase　of　life　through　which　he　had　not　himself　passed。　　He　had　never　been　troubled　with　religious　doubts；　　skepticism　seemed　to　him　monstrous　and　unnatural。　　He　met　the　confession；　which　his　son　had　made　in　pain　and　diffidence；　with　a　most　deplorable　want　of　tact。　　In　answer　to　the　perplexing　questions　which　were　put　to　him；　he　merely　replied　testily　that　Luke　had　been　overworking　himself；　and　that　he　had　no　business　to　trouble　his　head　with　matters　which　were　beyond　him；　and　would　fain　have　dismissed　the　whole　affair　at　once。

〃But；〃　urged　the　son；　〃how　is　it　possible　for　me　to　turn　my　back　on　these　matters　when　I　am　preparing　to　teach　them？〃

〃Nonsense；〃　replied　the　father；　angrily。　　〃Have　not　I　taught　all　my　life；　preached　twice　a　Sunday　these　thirty　years　without　perplexing　myself