ing, and chattering, as the
fancy took him. He found a great deal of the old stimulus and piquancy
in Langham's society, but there was an occasional irritability in his
companion, especially towards himself personally, which puzzled him.
After a while, indeed, he began to feel himself the unreasonably
cheerful person which he evidently appeared to his companion. A mere
ignorant enthusiast, banished for ever from the realm of pure knowledge
by certain original and incorrigible defects--after a few hours' talk
with Langham Robert's quick insight always showed him some image of
himself resembling this in his friend's mind.

At last he turned restive. He had been describing to Langham his
acquaintance with the Dissenting minister of the place--a strong
coarse-grained fellow of sensuous excitable temperament, famous for his
noisy 'conversion meetings,' and for a gymnastic dexterity in the
quoting and combining of texts, unrivalled in Robert's experience. Some
remark on the Dissenter's logic, made, perhaps, a little too much in the
tone of the Churchman conscious of University advantages, seemed to
irritate Langham.

'You think your Anglican logic in dealing with the Bible so superior! On
the contrary, I am all for your Ranter. He is your logical Protestant.
Historically, you Anglican parsons are where you are and what you are,
because Englishmen, as a whole, like attempting the contradictory--like,
above all, to eat their cake and have it. The nation has made you and
maintains you for its own purposes. But that is another matter.'

Robert smoked on a moment in silence. Then he flushed and laid down his
pipe.

'We are all fools in your eyes, I know! _A la bonne heure!_ I
have been to the University, and talk what he is pleased to call
"philosophy"--therefore Mr. Colson denies me faith. You have always, in
your heart of hearts, denied me knowledge. But I cling to both in spite
of you.'

There was a ray of defiance, of emotion, in his look. Langham met it in
silence.

'I deny you nothing,' he said at last, slowly. 'On the contrary, I
believe you to be the possessor of all that is best worth having in life
and mind.'

His irritation had all died away. His tone was one of indescribable
depression, and his great black eyes were fixed on Robert with a
melancholy which startled his companion. By a subtle transition Elsmere
felt himself touched with a pang of profound pity for the man who an
instant before had seemed to pos