The humiliation is in the misconduct, not in the confession of it; and whether I owed the apology to Mr.Halloway or to a beggar in the street, I should have made it quite the same, not at all for sake of his pardon, but simply for sake of clearing my own conscience." "Not at all for sake of my pardon," said Denham, as he strode on toward the church, with the uncomfortable sensation of having been an involuntary eavesdropper.

"It is fortunate that my conceit was only veneered on." The following Sunday Gerald was in church both morning and evening, sitting in Phebe's accustomed place.

She was one of those noticeable presences impossible to overlook, and as Denham mounted into the pulpit he felt as if he were preaching solely to her, or rather as if hers were the only criticism he feared in all the friendly congregation.

He was annoyed that he should feel so, and quite conscious at the same time that he was far from doing his best, and once or twice he caught a flash in the serious eyes fastened on his face, that seemed to say she knew this last fact too, and was impatient with him for it.

What excuse had any one, in Gerald's eyes, for not doing his best always?
De Forest was with her in the evening, and as Halloway came out of the vestry after service, he found himself directly behind them.
"He's not a mighty orator," De Forest was saying with his cynical drawl.
"I doubt if he is destined to be one of the pillars or even one of the cushions of the church." "He was not doing his best to-night," answered Gerald.
"Thank you," said Halloway, coming quickly to her side, anxious to avoid further eavesdropping.