for the most sacred goods of humanity...."

"Forgive me," he said, "I didn't mean to touch those things
irreverently."

She stroked his arm softly, thus dumbly asking forgiveness in her
turn.

"But now," she continued, "I am equipped once more, and when he comes
to-morrow--"

"So he's coming to-morrow?"

"Naturally, ... then you will see how I'll send him home sorely
whipped ... I can defeat him with Kant's antinomies alone.... And
when it comes to what people call 'revelation,' well! ... But I assure
you, my dear one, I'm not very happy defending this icy, nagging
criticism.... To be quite sincere, I would far rather be on his side.
Warmth is there and feeling and something positive to support one.
Would you like some tea?"

"Thanks, no, but some brandy."

Rapidly brushing the waves of hair from her drawn forehead she ran
into the next room and returned with the bottle bearing three stars on
its label from which she herself took a tiny drop occasionally--"when
my mind loses tone for study" as she was wont to say in
self-justification.

A crimson afterglow, reflected from the walls of the houses opposite,