worst was probably to come.  It came.  Left alone with him, the men of the party redoubled their attacks.  With every argument, renewed and recast, they assaulted him.  He withstood them, refusing at the last to argue, merely lifting his head with a characteristic gesture of determination, smiling wearily, and saying with unshaken purpose:  “It’s no use, gentlemen.  I’ve made up my mind.  I’m sorry you think I’m wrong, but I can’t help that, since I believe I’m right.”

They could not credit their own failure, these men of power, so accustomed to having things go their way that they were unable to understand even the possibility of being defeated.  And they were being defeated by a man whom they had never admired more—­and they had made him, as Sue Breckenridge had said, the idol of the great church—­than now when he refused them.  But they, quite naturally, did not show him that.  They showed him disappointment, chagrin, cynicism, disbelief in his judgment, everything that could make his heart beat hard and painfully with the weight of their displeasure.

Suddenly he rose to his feet.  A hush fell, for they thought he was going to speak to them.  He was silent for a minute, looking down at these old friends who were so fond of him; then he opened his mouth.  But not to speak—­to sing.

It was a powerful asset of Donald Brown’s, and it had never been more powerful than now, this voice which had been given him of heaven.  They had often heard him before but now, under these strange circumstances, they listened with fresh amazement to the beauty of his tones.  Every word fell clean-cut upon their ears, every note was rich with feeling, as Brown in this strange fashion made his plea, took his stand with George Matheson’s deathless words of passionate loyalty: 

“Make me a captive, Lord,
  And then I shall be free;
Force me to render up my sword,
  And I shall conqueror be. 
I sink in life’s alarms
  When by myself I stand;
Imprison me within Thy arms,
  And strong shall be my hand.”

When they looked up, these men, they saw that the women of the party had come back to the doors, drawn by an irresistible force.

In a strange silence, broken only by low-spoken words, the whole company returned to the living-rooms of the apartment.  Here Brown himself broke the spell he had laid upon them.

Speaking in the ringing voice they knew of old, and with a gesture of both arms outflung as if he threw himself upon their friendship, he cried blithely: 

“Ah, give me a good time now, dear people!  Let me play I’m yours and you are mine again—­just for to-night.”

That settled it.  Webb Atchison brought his hand down upon his victim’s shoulder with a resounding friendly blow, calling: 

“He’s right.  We’ve given him a bad two hours of it.  Let’s make it up to him, and let him have the right sort of send-off—­since he will go.  He will—­there’s no possible question of that.  So let’s part friends.”