Page:GB Lancaster--law-bringer.djvu/139

Rh "Sun-treader," and the smile on his lips had lost its cynicism, although his words had not.

"Very pretty," he said. "Unfortunately the bulk of us go into Ginungagap. Partly for the sake of company, and partly because we are still gross enough to prefer the heat of the blood unrefined. And partly because the habit of wanting to get to the bottom of things seems more ineradicable than the habit of wanting to get to the top."

"It is not. That's just where we mistake. When we can lose that idea we will be"

"God's," suggested Dick suavely.

"No, you irreligious owl. But we will be able to see Life and Love is"

"Not human love. You couldn't put that into such a universe, old man."

Tempest stopped to laugh. There were many days when he felt the great barrier between himself and this man. But there were a few when he felt the ancient bond. He felt it to-night, with the flush of his excitement on him, and he talked eagerly for an hour, urged on by Dick's idly-dropped comments. He went away at last, glad-eyed and buoyant still. But Dick sat on with his pipe burnt out and stared at the opposite wall.

He did not usually care to analyse emotions in himself. But he knew that he was shaken just now. This man, three years older than himself, was a century younger in heart. He had kept his ideals, and those ideals were going to slay him now unless someone interfered. All unguessing Tempest had shown his heart to the man who knew too much. One of earth's chosen men was failing in his trust for very sake of those grossness which he repudiated. One of those men to whom knighthood was more than a name was carrying into the lists a favour for which he must not fight. Dick had not studied men and women all his life without having seen by now where Tempest's real call lay. Tempest belonged to Canada. He loved it with that ardent love which some few men can give their land. He was one of those born to serve her need. He was fit to serve in those places where the server's work is so infinitely higher than the master's. He was fit to give heart-blood and body-sweat to her making. He was fit to