his
acts suggested. Others said that the Rev. George Holland had never been
a fool, though he had been a Fellow of his college.

They were right. George Holland knew that it was a troublesome process
becoming a good clergyman, so he determined to become a good preacher
instead. In the course of a year he had become probably the best-known
preacher (legitimate, not Dissenting) in London, and that, too,
without annoying the church-wardens of St. Chad's by drawing crowds of
undesirable listeners to crush their way into the proprietary sittings,
and to join in the singing and responses, and to do other undesirable
acts. No, he only drew to the church the friends of the said holders,
whose contributions to the offertory were exemplary.

His popularity within a certain circle was great; but, as Lord
Earlscourt was heard to say, "He never played to the pit."

He was invited to speak to a resolution at a Mansion House meeting to
express indignation at the maintenance of the opium traffic in China.

He was also invited by the Countess of Earlscourt to appear on the
platform to meet the deputation of Chinese who represented the city
meeting held at Pekin in favor of local option in England; for the
great national voice of China had pronounced in favor of local option in
England.

Shortly afterward he met Phyllis Ayrton, and had asked her to marry him,
and she had consented.

And now Phyllis was awaiting his coming to her, in order that he might
learn from her own lips what he had already learned from the letter
which he had received from her the day before; namely, that she found
it necessary for her own peace of mind to break off her engagement with
him.

Phyllis Ayrton had felt for some months that it would be a great
privilege for any woman to become the wife of a clergyman. Like many
other girls who have a good deal of time for thought,--thought about
themselves, their surroundings, and the world in general,--she had
certain yearnings after a career. But she had lived all her life in
Philistia, and considered it to be very well adapted as a place of abode
for a proper-minded young woman; in fact, she could not imagine any
proper-minded young woman living under any other form of government than
that which found acceptance in Philistia. She had no yearning to
startle her neighbors. With a large number of young women, the idea that
startling one's neighbors is a career by itself seems to prevail just at
present; but Phy