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"I thought you were too wise a woeneralities, Mrs Carstairs" His tired voice robbed the words of offence "And don't you know that it is never safe to prophesy what a man will do in a battle? The bravest may turn coward beneath a hail of fire--the man who is afraid htly--to the coveted Victoria Cross"

"Yes" She spoke steadily, her eyes on his face "But that's the battlefield of the world, Dr Anstice, the material, earthly battlefield It's the battlefield of the soul I was thinking of just now; and if I may use a quotation which has been battered out of nearly all its original fine shape by careless usage, to me the truly brave man is he who remains to the end the--'captain of his soul!'"

Her voice sank on the last words; but Anstice had caught her ht in his tired eyes

"Mrs Carstairs, thank you for what you've just said Captain of his soul--yes, I've heard it often enough, but never stopped to ponder itsAnd as the captain mustn't lose his ship ifthe ship of his soul safely into port Is that what you ht, and for once there was no inal ently, "but I like your simile of a ship better Yes, I suppose that is what I was trying to convey--in a confused fashion, I'e to coh sometimes it seems about to founder"--he knew she alluded to the catastrophe of her own life--"we must not let it sink if we can keep it afloat"

For a ain they heard thehoht, of course But"--at last his pent-up bitterness burst its bounds and overflowed in quick, veheh for a man to handle his ship carefully when he has so on board--or even when he knows soreet him as he enters--at last--into his haven But the reeting word--is there no excuse for hiate the seas carelessly?"