“Why?  They will get to heaven, which is all they want.  And they will understand him one day, which is more than they pray for.  Till they have done being anxious about their own salvation, we must forgive them that they can contemplate with calmness the damnation of a universe, and believe that God is yet more indifferent than they.”

“But do they not bring the charges likewise against you, of being unable to understand them?”

“Yes.  And so it must remain, till the Spirit of God decide the matter, which I presume must take place by slow degrees.  For this decision can only consist in the enlightenment of souls to see the truth; and therefore has to do with individuals only.  There is no triumph for the Truth but that.  She knows no glorying over the vanquished, for in her victory the vanquished is already of the vanquishers.  Till then, the Right must be content to be called the Wrong, and —­ which is far harder —­ to seem the Wrong.  There is no spiritual victory gained by a verbal conquest; or by any kind of torture, even should the rack employed be that of the purest logic.  Nay more:  so long as the wicked themselves remain impenitent, there is mourning in heaven; and when there is no longer any hope over one last remaining sinner, heaven itself must confess its defeat, heap upon that sinner what plagues you will.”

Hugh pondered, and continued pondering till they reached Falconer’s chambers.  At the door Hugh paused.

“Will you not come in?”

“I fear I shall become troublesome.”

“No fear of that.  I promise to get rid of you as soon as I find you so.”

“Thank you.  Just let me know when you have had enough of me.”

They entered.  Mrs. Ashton, who, unlike her class, was never missing when wanted, got them some bread and cheese; and Falconer’s Fortunatus-purse of a cellar —­ the bottom of his cupboard —­ supplied its usual bottle of port; to which fare the friends sat down.

The conversation, like a bird descending in spirals, settled at last upon the subject which had more or less occupied Hugh’s thoughts ever since his unsatisfactory conversation with Funkelstein, at their first meeting; and still more since he had learned that this man himself exercised an unlawful influence over Euphra.  He begged Falconer, if he had any theory comprehending such things, to let him know what kind of a relation it was, in which Miss Cameron stood to Funkelstein, or Count von Halkar.

“I have had occasion to think a good deal about those things,” said Falconer.  “The first thing evident is, that Miss Cameron is peculiarly constituted, belonging to a class which is, however, larger than is commonly supposed, circumstances rarely combining to bring out its peculiarities.  In those who constitute this class, the nervous element, either from preponderating, or from not being in healthy and harmonious combination with the more material