of Rome and a week later making His declaration.  It was the passion of one man against another that He denounced—­of kingdom against kingdom, and sect against sect—­for this was suicidal for the race.  He denounced passion, too, not judicial action.  Therefore, this new decree was as logical as Himself—­it was a judicial act on the part of an united world against a tiny majority that threatened the principle of life and faith:  and it was to be carried out with supreme mercy; there was no revenge or passion or partisan spirit in it from beginning to end; no more than a man is revengeful or passionate when he amputates a diseased limb—­Oliver had convinced her of that.

Yes, it was logical and sound.  And it was because it was so that she could not bear it....  But ah! what a sublime man Felsenburgh was; it was a joy to her even to recall his speeches and his personality.  She would have liked to see him again.  But it was no good.  She had better be done with it as tranquilly as possible.  And the world must go forward without her.  She was just tired out with Facts.

* * * * *

She dozed off again presently, and it seemed scarcely five minutes before she looked up to see a gentle smiling face of a white-capped nurse bending over her.

“It is nearly six o’clock, my dear—­the time you told me.  I came to see about breakfast.”

Mabel drew a long breath.  Then she sat up suddenly, throwing back the sheet.

II

It struck a quarter-past six from the little clock on the mantel-shelf as she laid down her pen.  Then she took up the closely written sheets, leaned back in her deep chair, and began to read.

“HOME OF REST,

“NO 3A MANCHESTER WEST.

“MY DEAR:  I am very sorry, but it has come back to me.  I really cannot go on any longer, so I am going to escape in the only way left, as I once told you.  I have had a very quiet and happy time here; they have been most kind and considerate.  You see, of course, from the heading on this paper, what I mean....

“Well, you have always been very dear to me; you are still, even at this moment.  So you have a right to know my reasons so far as I know them myself.  It is very difficult to understand myself; but it seems to me that I am not strong enough to live.  So long as I was pleased and excited it was all very well—­especially when He came.  But I think I had expected it to be different; I did not understand as I do now how it must come to this—­how it is all quite logical and right.  I could bear it, when I thought that they had acted through passion, but this is deliberate.  I did not realise that Peace must have its laws, and must protect itself.  And, somehow, that Peace is not what I want.  It is being alive at all that is wrong.

“Then there is this difficulty.  I know how absolutely in agreement you are with this new state of affairs; of course you are, because you are so much stronger and more logical than I am.  But if you have a wife she must be of one mind with you.  And I am not, any more, at least not with my heart, though I see you are right....  Do you understand, my dear?