ook, and that article
of yours in the _Zeit Geist_, Holland," said the bishop. "I wish you had
written neither."

"_Litera scripta manet_," said George, with a smile.

One may quote Latin in conversation with a bishop without being thought
a prig. In a letter to the _Times_ and in conversation with a bishop
are the only two occasions in these unclassical days when one may safely
quote Latin or Greek.

"That's the worst of it," said the prelate, with a shake of his head
that was Early Norman. "Yes, you see a book isn't like a sermon. People
don't remember a man's sermons against him nowadays; they do his books,
however."

"I am quite ready to accept the conditions of modern life, my lord,"
said George.

"I was anxious to give you my opinion as early as possible," resumed the
bishop, "and that is, that what you have just published--the book
and the _Zeit Geist_ article--reflect--yes, in no inconsiderable
measure--what I have long thought."

"I am flattered, indeed, my lord."

"You need not be, Holland. I believe that there are a large number of
thinking men in the Church who are trying to solve the problem with
which you have so daringly grappled--the problem of how to induce
intellectual men and women to attend the services of the church. I'm
afraid that there is a great deal of truth in what you say about
the Church herself bearing responsibility for the existence of this
problem."

"There is no setting aside that fact, my lord."

"Alas! that short-sighted policy has been the Church's greatest enemy
from the earliest period. You remember what St. Augustine says? Ah,
never mind just now. About your book--that's the matter before us just
now. I must say that I don't consider the present time the most suitable
for the issue of that book, or that article in the _Zeit Geist_. You
meant them to be startling. Well, they are startling. There are some
complaints--nervous complaints--that require to be startled out of the
system; that's a phrase of Sir Richard's. He made use of it in regard to
my neuralgia. 'We must surprise it out of the system,' said he, 'with
a large dose of quinine.' The phrase seemed to me to be a very striking
one. But the Church is not neurotic. You cannot apply the surprise
method to her system with any chance of success. That is wherein
the publication of your article seems to me to be--shall we call it
premature? It is calculated to startle; but you cannot startle people
into going to churc