Virginia suddenly rose and paced the hall.  Rachel answered sadly, and yet with a note of hope in her voice: 

“It is true.  But, Virginia, what a wonderful amount of good can be done with this money!  And the saloon cannot always remain here.  The time must come when the Christian forces in the city will triumph.”

Virginia paused near Rachel, and her pale, earnest face lighted up.

“I believe that too.  The number of those who have promised to do as Jesus would is increasing.  If we once have, say, five hundred such disciples in Raymond, the saloon is doomed.  But now, dear, I want you to look at your part in this plan for capturing and saving the Rectangle.  Your voice is a power.  I have had many ideas lately.  Here is one of them.  You could organize among the girls a Musical Institute; give them the benefit of your training.  There are some splendid voices in the rough there.  Did any one ever hear such singing as that yesterday by those women?  Rachel, what a beautiful opportunity!  You shall have the best of material in the way of organs and orchestras that money can provide, and what cannot be done with music to win souls there into higher and purer and better living?”

Before Virginia had ceased speaking Rachel’s face was perfectly transformed with the thought of her life work.  It flowed into her heart and mind like a flood, and the torrent of her feeling overflowed in tears that could not be restrained.  It was what she had dreamed of doing herself.  It represented to her something that she felt was in keeping with a right use of her talent.

“Yes,” she said, as she rose and put her arm about Virginia, while both girls in the excitement of their enthusiasm paced the hall.  “Yes, I will gladly put my life into that kind of service.  I do believe that Jesus would have me use my life in this way.  Virginia, what miracles can we not accomplish in humanity if we have such a lever as consecrated money to move things with!”

“Add to it consecrated personal enthusiasm like yours, and it certainly can accomplish great things,” said Virginia smiling.  And before Rachel could reply, Rollin came in.

He hesitated a moment, and then was passing out of the hall into the library when Virginia called him back and asked some questions about his work.

Rollin came back and sat down, and together the three discussed their future plans.  Rollin was apparently entirely free from embarrassment in Rachel’s presence while Virginia was with them, only his manner with her was almost precise, if not cold.  The past seemed to have been entirely absorbed in his wonderful conversion.  He had not forgotten it, but he seemed to be completely caught up for this present time in the purpose of his new life.  After a while Rollin was called out, and Rachel and Virginia began to talk of other things.

“By the way, what has become of Jasper Chase?” Virginia asked the question innocently, but Rachel flushed and Virginia added with a smile, “I suppose he is writing another book.  Is he going to put you into this one, Rachel?  You know I always suspected Jasper Chase of doing that very thing in his first story.”