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olving her own。 God bless those dear grave children！ They were nearer the elemental things than he was。 That eastward path led to Victoriaand thence to a very probable death。 The lad was in the infantry and going straight into the trenches。
Love； death； God； this war was bringing the whole world back to elemental things； to heroic things。 The years of comedy and comfort were at an end in Europe； the age of steel and want was here。 And he had been thinkingWhat had he been thinking？
He mused； and the scheme of his perplexities reshaped itself in his mind。 But at that time he did not realize that a powerful new light was falling upon it now； cast by the tragic illumination of these young lovers whose love began with a parting。 He did not see how reality had come to all things through that one intense reality。 He reverted to the question as he had put it to himself； before first he recoguized Eleanor。 Did he believe in God？ Should he go on with this Sunderbund adventure in which he no longer believed？ Should he play for safety and comfort； trusting to God's toleration？ Or go back to his family and warn them of the years of struggle and poverty his renunciation cast upon them？
Somehow Lady Sunderbund's chapel was very remote and flimsy now； and the hardships of poverty seemed less black than the hardship of a youthful death。
Did he believe in God？ Again he put that fundamental question to himself。
He sat very still in the sunset peace； with his eyes upon the steel mirror of the waters。 The question seemed to fill the whole scene； to wait； even as the water and sky and the windless trees were waiting。。。。
And then by imperceptible degrees there grew in Scrope's mind the persuasion that he was in the presence of the living God。 This time there was no vision of angels nor stars； no snapping of bow…strings； no throbbing of the heart nor change of scene； no magic and melodramatic drawing back of the curtain from the mysteries； the water and the bridge； the ragged black trees； and a distant boat that broke the silvery calm with an arrow of black ripples； all these things were still before him。 But God was there too。 God was everywhere about him。 This persuasion was over him and about him； a dome of protection； a power in his nerves； a peace in his heart。 It was an exalting beauty； it was a perfected conviction。。。。 This indeed was the coming of God； the real coming of God。 For the first time Scrope was absolutely sure that for the rest of his life he would possess God。 Everything that had so perplexed him seemed to be clear now； and his troubles lay at the foot of this last complete realization like a litter of dust and leaves in the foreground of a sunlit； snowy mountain range。
It was a little incredible that he could ever have doubted。
（11）
It was a phase of extreme intellectual clairvoyance。 A multitude of things that hitherto had been higgledy…piggledy； contradictory and incongruous in his mind became lucid； serene； full and assured。 He seemed to see all things plainly as one sees things plainly through perfectly clear still water in the shadows of a summer noon。 His doubts about God； his periods of complete forgetfulness and disregard of God； this conflict of his instincts and the habits and affections of his daily life with the service of God； ceased to be perplexing incompatibilities and were manifest as necessary； understandable aspects of the business of living。
It was no longer a riddle that little immediate things should seem of more importance than great and final things。 For man is a creature thrusting his way up from the beast to divinity； from the blindness of individuality to the knowledge of a common end。 We stand deep in the engagements of our individual lives looking up to God； and only realizing in our moments of exaltation that through God we can escape from and rule and alter the whole world…wide scheme of individual lives。 Only in phases of illumination do we realize the creative powers that lie ready to man's hand。 Personal affections； immediate obligations； ambitions； self…seeking； these are among the natural and essential things of our individual lives； as intimate almost as our primordial lusts and needs； God； the true God； is a later revelation； a newer； less natural thing in us； a knowledge still remote； uncertain； and confused with superstition； an apprehension as yet entangled with barbaric traditions of fear and with ceremonial surgeries； blood sacrifices； and the maddest barbarities of thought。 We are only beginning to realize that God is here； so far as our minds go he is still not here continually； we perceive him and then again we are blind to him。 God is the last thing added to the completeness of human life。 To most His presence is imperceptible throughout their lives； they know as little of him as a savage knows of the electric waves that beat through us for ever from the sun。 All this appeared now so clear and necessary to Scrope that he was astonished he had ever found the quality of contradiction in these manifest facts。
In this unprecedented lucidity that had now come to him； Scrope saw as a clear and simple necessity that there can be no such thing as a continuous living presence of God in our lives。 That is an unreasonable desire。 There is no permanent exaltation of belief。 It is contrary to the nature of life。 One cannot keep actively believing in and realizing God round all the twenty…four hours any more than one can keep awake through the whole cycle of night and day； day after day。 If it were possible so to apprehend God without cessation； life would dissolve in religious ecstasy。 But nothing human has ever had the power to hold the curtain of sense continually aside and retain the light of God always。 We must get along by remembering our moments of assurance。 Even Jesus himself； leader of all those who have hailed the coming kingdom of God； had cried upon the cross； 〃My God； my God； why hast thou forsaken me？〃 The business of life on earth； life itself； is a thing curtained off； as it were； from such immediate convictions。 That is in the constitution of life。 Our ordinary state of belief； even when we are free from doubt； is necessarily far removed from the intuitive certainty of sight and hearing。 It is a persuasion； it falls far short of perception。。。。
〃We don't know directly；〃 Scrope said to himself with a checking gesture of the hand； 〃we don't see。 We can't。 We hold on to the remembered glimpse； we go over our reasons。〃。。。
And it was clear too just because God is thus manifest like the momentary drawing of a curtain； sometimes to this man for a time and sometimes to that； but never continuously to any； and because the perception of him depends upon the ability and quality of the perceiver； because to the intellectual man God is necessarily a formula； to the active man a will and a commandment； and to the emotional man love； there can be no creed defining him for all men； and no ritual and special forms of service to justify a priesthood。 〃God is God；〃 he whispered to himself； and the phrase seemed to him the discovery of a sufficient creed。 God is his own definition； there is no other definition of God。 Scrope had troubled himself with endless argum