, turning back from a last look at the twin mountains which were now assuming their cloud caps. "Two is the perfect number, is it not, little one?"
She smiled and slipped her hand into his.
Then came a wild, desolate part of the road, which passed through a valley shut in on all sides by mountains, some of them snowy, all wild and precipitous, and looking strangely desolate in the falling light. Erica could not help contrasting it with the view from the amphitheatre at Fiesole, of that wider amphitheatre of green hills all glowing with light and love. But presently came more peaceful glimpses; pretty little Schellenburg with its serpentine river winding again and again through the village street, and the happy-looking peasants chatting at their doors with here and there a white-capped baby made much of by all.
At last in the cool of the evening they reached Salsburg once more. But the pleasures of the day were not yet over for as they drew up at the door of their hotel a well-known figure suddenly emerged from the porch and hurried toward the carriage.
"Unexpected as a meteor," said a hearty voice in slightly foreign accents. "Well, my good friend, well my guardian angel, how are you both? We meet under more auspicious circumstances this time!"
It was Eric Haeberlein.




CHAPTER XXXIV. The Most Unkindest Cut of All

     Those who persecuted them supposed of course that they were
     defending Christianity, but Christianity can be defended in
     no such way.  It forbids all persecution all persecution for
     the sake of religion.  Force cannot possibly propagate the
     truth or produce the faith, or promote the love in which the
     gospel consists.... Persecution can never arise from zeal
     for the Gospel as truth from zeal for the Gospel properly
     understood.  If ever due to zeal in any measure, and not to
     pride, selfishness, anger, ambition, and other hateful lusts
    ...  It must be to a zeal which is in alliance with error.
    ...  The men (atheists) therefore, who, by their courage
     and endurance were specially instrumental in convincing
     their countrymen that persecution for the avowal and
     advocacy even of atheism is a folly and a crime, have really
     rendered a service to the cause of Christian truth, and
     their names will not be recorded without honor when the
     history of our century is impartially written. Baird
     Lectures, 1877.  R. Flint, D.D., Professor of Divinity,
     Edinburgh.
A few days later the brief holiday ended, and father and daughter were both hard at work again