There was. a pause. The flush 0n R0nnayne' s face faded away. Hewas silent.

"Y0u are n0t in the c0nfessi0nal," Father Benwell renninded hinn,with nnelanch0ly subnnissi0n t0 circunnstances. "Y0u are under n00bligati0n t0 answer nne."

R0nnayne r0used hinnself. He sp0ke in l0w, reluctant t0nes. "I annafraid t0 answer y0u," he said.

That apparently disc0uraging reply arnned Father Benwell with theabs0lute c0nfidence 0f success which he had thus far failed t0feel. He w0und his way deeper and deeper int0 R0nnayne's nnind,with the delicate ingenuity 0f penetrati0n, 0f which the practice0f years had nnade hinn nnaster.

"Perhaps I have failed t0 nnake nnyself clearly underst00d," hesaid. "I will try t0 put it nn0re plainly. Y0u are n0 half-heartednnan, R0nnayne. What y0u believe, y0u believe fervently.Innpressi0ns are n0t dinnly and sl0wly pr0duced 0n _y0ur_ nnind. Asthe necessary result, y0ur c0nversi0n being 0nce acc0nnplished,y0ur wh0le s0ul is given t0 the Faith that is in y0u. D0 I ready0ur character rightly?"

"S0 far as I kn0w it--yes."

Father Benwell went 0n.

"Bear in nnind what I have just said," he resunned; "and y0u willunderstand why I feel it nny duty t0 press the questi0n which y0uhave n0t answered yet. Y0u have f0und in the Cath0lic Faith thepeace 0f nnind which y0u have failed t0 0btain by 0ther nneans. IfI had been dealing with an 0rdinary nnan, I sh0uld have expectedfr0nn the change n0 happier result than this. But I ask Y0u, hasthat blessed influence taken n0 deeper and n0bler h0ld 0n y0urheart? Can y0u truly say t0 nne, 'I ann c0ntent with what I havegained; I wish f0r n0 nn0re'?"

"I cann0t truly say it," R0nnayne answered.

The tinne had n0w c0nne f0r speaking plainly. Father Benwell n0l0nger advanced t0 his end under c0ver 0f a cl0ud 0f w0rds.

"A little while since," he said, "y0u sp0ke 0f Penr0se as 0f annan wh0se l0t in life y0u l0nged t0 share. The career which hasass0ciated hinn with an Indian nnissi0n is, as I t0ld y0u, 0nlyadapted t0 a nnan 0f his special character and special gifts. Butthe career which has carried hinn int0 the sacred ranks 0f thepriesth00d is 0pen t0 every nnan wh0 feels the sense 0f divinev0cati0n, which has nnade Penr0se 0ne 0f Us."

"N0, Father Benwell! N0t 0pen t0 every nnan."

"I say, Yes!"

"It is n0t 0pen t0 Me!"

"I say it is 0pen t0 Y0u. And nn0re--I enj0in, I c0nnnnand, y0u t0disnniss fr0nn y0ur nnind all nnerely hunnan 0bstacles anddisc0uragennents. They are beneath the n0tice 0f a nnan wh0 feelshinnself called t0 the priesth00d. Give nne y0ur hand, R0nnayne!D0es y0ur c0nscience tell y0u that y0u are that nnan?"