ieved, was for them the parting of the ways. Vane was sitting in a deep-seated, Russian wicker-chair in his cosy study,

their own sakes and their sons', in the long traditions of the grand old University, the dearly-loved Alma Mater, nursing-mother of their fathers and fathers' fathers. Here a man who had been a tutor and then a Fellow, and was now one of His Majesty's judges; t

in all. If it had then been possible for him to have had a Treble-First, it would have been his. As it was he had won the most brilliant degree of his year-and there he was, sitting back in his chair, blowing cloud after cloud of smoke out of his mouth, a

ent as the final triumph of an educational course, is still only the end of the beginning. That done, the student, armed cap-à-pie in his intellectual armour, goes forth to face something infinitely sterner and more pitiless than tutors or proctors, ay, even than Masters and C

or three minutes. "Still, at any rate, you've got your first, and, after all, a first in Classics and a second in History i

esulted in the clean biting through of the vulcanite mouthpiece of his pipe. H

hat is one of the circumstances in which p

, you Ernshaw-you're above all that sort of thing. You have your feelings so well under control that you don't even need to swear to relieve them. However, that's not quite the subject. What

he cross-ways, in fact. You have made me your confidant in this matter. The future of your life and hers depends upon what you decide to do now, and, not only that, but there is you

ded chin which, taken together, showed him to the eye that sees to be the enthusiast as well as the man of intellect, perhaps of genius-was not thinking in the ordinary meaning of the word. He was praying, and when he saw that this was so he folded his hands over his eyes, and for nearly ten minutes there was

ow arguing with and now against each other, and here was the last day. To-morrow in the Theatre they would receive the formal acknowledgment which would

nt to be. Of course, as I have told you, it was mutually agreed between us, or rather, between her parents and my father, that we should not meet or correspond until after I had taken my degree. I've kept the bargain both ways. I haven't written to her or had a word from her all the time. And now, what is the future to be? Shall I take up the threads of the old life and marry and

e in God or man, it is your duty, not only as a man but as a Christian,

acing him with clenched teeth, set features, and hands gripped up

sfigured. He looked him straight in the eyes, and said, in a voice on

r Source. I believe I have had my answer. As I have had it so I have given it to you. I have spent a good many hours thinking over this problem of yours-and a harder problem few men have ever had to solve-but my fixe

ed his hands over his eyes again, and sa

p to 'Commem' to-morrow-I was obliged to ask them, you know. I should only have to hold out my hand and feel hers in it and say that-wel

? You know what I was going to do. Now that I've got my degree I should have a splendid opening in the Foreign Office. The way would be absolutely clear before me-a mere matter of brains and interest-and I know I've got the interest-and I should be an Ambassador, perhaps a

over his chair; Vane looked up and saw that his eyes were glowing and his features set. His lips and vo

many that miss it, and take the other way? As a good Christian,

you must win or lose. In this one you can and must be the victor. I think, nay, I know, that I am pointing out to you the way to victory, the way to final triumph over al

was a moment in which the fate of two lives was to be decided for right or wrong, for good or ill, and for all time-perhaps, even f

and, God helping me, I'll take it. I suppose if she doesn't marry me she'll marry Garthorne; but still, I see she mustn't marry me. They are coming down for 'Commem' to-morrow. I shall see

ng, in the sheer joy of his great triumph, as he so

else. I shall do as you have often advised me to do-take Orders and do the work that God puts nearest to my hand

, you mean,"

ha

nshaw interrupted, quickl

in a way, but she has absolutely refused everything that the governor and I have offered her. We eve

did she sa

world as it's made, she'd never owed anyone a shilling since she left her mother-and mine-and she never intended to. We tried everything with her, re

it. "Maxwell, you have just decided to take Orders. I made up my mind to do that long ago. We are both of us fairly well off. I have eight

that's not quite answering my quest

sk you another. Do you think you know me and lik

u don't mean that

her, I'm half in love with her already, and-well, we needn't say anything more about that just now. Take me up to Town with you after Commem., introduce m

somehow led you to look upon her as part of my destiny; but you forget, or perhaps, I have not told you that we have lost her utterly for the

arch. At any rate, when we do find her, as I am sure we shall