that he was some sort of religious fanatic, but in Kate’s mind all men were alike even if they were parsons. It irritated her that she could not ensnare Dylan, and she said, “Dylan, you’re the first man who ever turned me down. I just can’t believe you’re that holy.”
“Why, I’m not calling myself that, ay? You don’t know the struggle I have to keep myself from going to rack and ruin as I was before.”
“You weren’t always a holy man, then.”
“I don’t call myself that even now. I was a sinner just as bad as any other man, you see.”
His words caught Kate’s attention, and as she watched him, she was acutely aware that something in him made him different from other men. She had heard men protest that they had no lust for her, but she had always been able to read that very thing in their eyes. Dylan seemed to walk in another dimension, and she asked impulsively, “What happened, if you were such a sinner, to make you so good?”
Dylan studied her closely. She was a beautiful woman, but he was well on his guard with her. “Well, it’s this way, Kate. Sometimes a man bends over for a moment, and when he straightens up, the whole world has changed. A man can change that quick—and a woman too.”
“What kind of change?”
“God can change a heart in a blink of an eye. The Bible calls it the new birth. Like being born again, it is. God takes away your old sinstained heart and gives you a fresh new one. Now that’s a glorious thing to happen to a fellow, yes?”
Kate stared at him. “I don’t believe it.”
“Oh, but it’s true. The Gospel is the good news, Kate. Jesus died for our sins, and when you come to Jesus and ask Him to forgive you, there’s no argument. It’s done in a moment, and from that time on you’re a new person, see? I’d like to see that happen to you, Kate.”
Kate stepped away and eyed Dylan coldly. “I’ve got everything I want. I’ve got my looks, money, men chasing me. I could marry a dozen times tomorrow. Even a lord or two has been after me. You know that.”
“But what about when all that’s gone, Kate?”
“Gone? Gone where?”
“Why, you’ll lose all of that. There’ll come a time when you and I won’t have our teeth, when we’re all wrinkled and weak. Old age doesn’t show any favourites. This black hair of mine will either be gone or silvered. Your good looks will fade as all things on this earth do. Then where will your admirers be? We’ll lose everything in this world. Time takes it away from us.”
Fear touched Kate Fairfield’s eyes. She’d had thoughts like this but had always managed to put them away. “I don’t want to hear about all that.”
But Dylan was persistent. He spoke softly but with a fierce intensity that held Kate still. “Jesus is your friend, Kate. One day you and I will both stand before God. What will I be telling Him when He asks what I did? You know what I’ll say? I’ll say, ‘Lord, I was a sinner. I committed every sin that I ever thought of, but Jesus bore all my sins on the cross—so I throw myself on your mercy because of what Jesus did.’” Dylan paused, and his eyes held hers. “What will you say to Him, Kate?”
Kate closed her eyes, and a tremor went through her body. She whirled suddenly, grabbed her coat, and gave him an angry look. “I’m not going to give up what I’ve got, Dylan! Maybe when I get older I’ll have time for God—but not now.” She hurried through the door, leaving Dylan standing in the middle of the dressing room. He went to the door and watched her sadly as she hurried away. “Poor lost woman. You have it all—and yet you really have nothing.”
As she usually did,Helen Morton arose early and fixed her own breakfast. She knew it would be useless to prepare a breakfast for her mistress, for Kate did not rise early. Helen was a young woman of twenty who had become the personal maid of the actress almost a year ago. She had learnt that Kate demanded tact and
“Why, I’m not calling myself that, ay? You don’t know the struggle I have to keep myself from going to rack and ruin as I was before.”
“You weren’t always a holy man, then.”
“I don’t call myself that even now. I was a sinner just as bad as any other man, you see.”
His words caught Kate’s attention, and as she watched him, she was acutely aware that something in him made him different from other men. She had heard men protest that they had no lust for her, but she had always been able to read that very thing in their eyes. Dylan seemed to walk in another dimension, and she asked impulsively, “What happened, if you were such a sinner, to make you so good?”
Dylan studied her closely. She was a beautiful woman, but he was well on his guard with her. “Well, it’s this way, Kate. Sometimes a man bends over for a moment, and when he straightens up, the whole world has changed. A man can change that quick—and a woman too.”
“What kind of change?”
“God can change a heart in a blink of an eye. The Bible calls it the new birth. Like being born again, it is. God takes away your old sinstained heart and gives you a fresh new one. Now that’s a glorious thing to happen to a fellow, yes?”
Kate stared at him. “I don’t believe it.”
“Oh, but it’s true. The Gospel is the good news, Kate. Jesus died for our sins, and when you come to Jesus and ask Him to forgive you, there’s no argument. It’s done in a moment, and from that time on you’re a new person, see? I’d like to see that happen to you, Kate.”
Kate stepped away and eyed Dylan coldly. “I’ve got everything I want. I’ve got my looks, money, men chasing me. I could marry a dozen times tomorrow. Even a lord or two has been after me. You know that.”
“But what about when all that’s gone, Kate?”
“Gone? Gone where?”
“Why, you’ll lose all of that. There’ll come a time when you and I won’t have our teeth, when we’re all wrinkled and weak. Old age doesn’t show any favourites. This black hair of mine will either be gone or silvered. Your good looks will fade as all things on this earth do. Then where will your admirers be? We’ll lose everything in this world. Time takes it away from us.”
Fear touched Kate Fairfield’s eyes. She’d had thoughts like this but had always managed to put them away. “I don’t want to hear about all that.”
But Dylan was persistent. He spoke softly but with a fierce intensity that held Kate still. “Jesus is your friend, Kate. One day you and I will both stand before God. What will I be telling Him when He asks what I did? You know what I’ll say? I’ll say, ‘Lord, I was a sinner. I committed every sin that I ever thought of, but Jesus bore all my sins on the cross—so I throw myself on your mercy because of what Jesus did.’” Dylan paused, and his eyes held hers. “What will you say to Him, Kate?”
Kate closed her eyes, and a tremor went through her body. She whirled suddenly, grabbed her coat, and gave him an angry look. “I’m not going to give up what I’ve got, Dylan! Maybe when I get older I’ll have time for God—but not now.” She hurried through the door, leaving Dylan standing in the middle of the dressing room. He went to the door and watched her sadly as she hurried away. “Poor lost woman. You have it all—and yet you really have nothing.”
As she usually did,Helen Morton arose early and fixed her own breakfast. She knew it would be useless to prepare a breakfast for her mistress, for Kate did not rise early. Helen was a young woman of twenty who had become the personal maid of the actress almost a year ago. She had learnt that Kate demanded tact and
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