ble altars, and who wouldn't accept a Christmas box from a
highwayman. But I'll do Hodder the justice to say he doesn't strike me
as that kind. And I have an idea that Eldon Parr and Wallis Plimpton
and the rest know he isn't, know that he'd be a Tartar if he ever get
started, and that's what makes them uneasy."

"Then it isn't his change of religious opinions they would care about?"
said Eleanor.

"Oh, I don't say that Eldon Parr won't try to throw him out if he
questions the faith as delivered by the Saints."

"Phil, what a way of putting it!"

"Any indication of independence, any approach to truth would be regarded
as dangerous," Phil continued. "And of course Gordon Atterbury and others
we could mention, who think they believe in the unchipped egg theory,
will be outraged. But it's deeper than that. Eldon Parr will give orders
that Hodder's to go."

"Give orders?"

"Certainly. That vestry, so far as Mr. Parr is concerned, is a mere
dummy board of directors. He's made Langmaid, and Plimpton, and even
Everett Constable, who's the son of an honourable gentleman, and ought
to know better. And he can ruin them by snapping his fingers. He can
even make the financial world too hot for Ferguson. I'll say this
for Gordon Atterbury, that Mr. Parr can't control him, but he's got a
majority without him, and Gordon won't vote for a heretic. Who are left,
except father-in-law Waring and myself?"

"He can't control either of you!" said Eleanor, proudly.

"When it comes to that, Nell--we'll move into Canada and buy a farm."

"But can he hurt you, Phil--either of you?" she asked, after a moment.

"I'd like to see him try it," Phil Goodrich declared

And his wife thought, as she looked at him, that she would like to see
Mr. Parr try it, too.

III

Phil Goodrich had once said that Mr. Plimpton's translation of the
national motto E pluribus unum, was "get together," and it was true that
not the least of Mr. Plimpton's many gifts was that of peace making.
Such was his genius that he scented trouble before it became manifest
to the world, and he stoutly declared that no difference of opinion ever
existed between reasonable men that might not be patched up before the
breach became too wide--provided that a third reasonable man contributed
his services. The qualifying word "reasonable" is to be noted. When Mr.
Bedloe Hubbell had undertaken, in the name of Reform, to make a witch's
cauldron of the city's politics, which