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w it--indifferent to the great cause of religious change and reform which he had at heart. In these matters, indeed, she had quietly, unwaveringly held aloof. There are efforts and endurances that can only be maintained--up to a point. Beyond that point resistance breaks. The life that is fighting emotion must not run too many risks of emotion. At the root of half the religious movements of the world lies the appeal of the preacher and the prophet--to women. Because women are the creatures and channels of feeling; and feeling is to religion as air to life.
But _she_--must starve feeling--not feed and cherish it. Richard's voice was too powerful with her already. To hear it dealing with the most intimate and touching things of the soul would have tested the resistance of her will too sorely. Courage and honour alike told her that she would be defeated and undone did she attempt to meet and follow him--openly--in the paths of religion. _Entbehren sollst du_--_sollst entbehren!_
So, long before this date, she had chosen her line of action. She took no part in the movement, and she rarely set foot in the village church, which was close to her gates. Meynell sadly believed her unshakeable--one of the natural agnostics or pessimists of the world who cannot be comforted through religion.
And meanwhile secretly, ardently, she tracked all the footsteps of his thoughts, reading what he read, thinking as far as possible what he thought, and revealing nothing.
Except that, lately, she had been indiscreet sometimes in talk with Mary Elsmere. Mary had divined her--had expressed her astonishment that her friend should declare herself and her sympathies so little; and Alice had set up some sort of halting explanation.
But in this nascent friendship it was not Mary alone who had made discoveries....
* * * * *
Alice Puttenham sat very still, in the quiet shadowy room, her eyes closed, her hands crossed over the miniature, the Markborough paper lying on the floor beside her. As the f