“But, my dear,” he said, “you have been baptized.”
“I have.”
“You promised to renounce the devil and all his works.”
“I did.”
“Then how can you hesitate to renounce everything connected with your former life?”
“Do you mean to imply that my father is the devil or one of his works?”
Mr. Fane-Smith was silent. Erica continued:
“God's Fatherhood does not depend on our knowledge of it, or acceptance of it, it is a fact a truth! How then can any one dare to say that such a man as my farther is a work of the devil? I thought the sin of sins was to attribute to the devil what belongs to God!”
“You are in a very peculiar position,” said Mr. Fane-Smith, uneasily. “And I have no doubt it is difficult for you to see things as they really are. But I, who can look at the matter dispassionately, can see that your remaining in your old home would be most dangerous, and not only that, but most painful! To live in a house where you hear all that you most reverence evil spoken of; why, the pain would be unspeakable!”
“I know that,” said Erica, in a low voice, “I have found that I admit that it is and always will be harder to bear than any one can conceive who has not tried. But to shirk pain is not to follow Christ. As to danger, if you will forgive my saying so, I should find a luxurious life in a place like Greyshot infinitely more trying.”