deluded." Evidently he did from his very heart believe what he
said.

"But how are we to judge what is best?" he replied. "My belief is
that God is slowly and gradually educating the world, not forcing
it on unnaturally, but drawing it on step by step, making it work
out its own lessons as the best teachers do with their pupils. To
me the idea of a steady progression, in which man himself may be a
co-worker with God, is far more beautiful than the conception of a
Being who does not work by natural laws at all, but arbitrarily
causes this and that to be or not to be."

"But then if your God is educating the world, He is educating many
of us in ignorance of Himself, in atheism. How can that be good or
right? Surely you, for instance, must be rather puzzled when you
come across atheists, if you believe in a perfect God, and think
atheism the most fearful mistake possible?"

"If I could not believe that God can, and does, educate some of us
through atheism, I should indeed be miserable," said Brian, with a
thrill of pain in his voice which startled Erica. "But I do
believe that even atheism, even blank ignorance of Him, may be a
stage through which alone some of us can be brought onward. The
noblest man I ever knew passed through that state, and I can't
think he would have been half the man he is if he had not passed
through it."

"I have only known two or three people who from atheists became
theists, and they were horrid," said Erica, emphatically. "People
always are spiteful to the side they have left."