strange words."

"Forgive me," explained Shelton; "we 're talking of working morality, I
imagine. There's not a man in a million fit to talk of true morality."

The eyes of his host contracted.

"I think," he said--and his voice sounded as if he had pinched it in
the endeavour to impress his listener--"that any well-educated man who
honestly tries to serve his God has the right humbly--I say humbly--to
claim morality."

Shelton was on the point of saying something bitter, but checked
himself. "Here am I," thought he, "trying to get the last word, like an
old woman."

At this moment there was heard a piteous mewing; the parson went towards
the door.

"Excuse me a moment; I 'm afraid that's one of my cats out in the wet."
He returned a minute later with a wet cat in his arms. "They will get
out," he said to Shelton, with a smile on his thin face, suffused by
stooping. And absently he stroked the dripping cat, while a drop of
wet ran off his nose. "Poor pussy, poor pussy!" The sound of that "Poor
pussy!" like nothing human in its cracked superiority, the softness of
that smile, like the smile of gentleness itself, haunted Shelton till he
fell asleep.

CHAPTER XVIII

ACADEMIC

The last sunlight was playing on the roofs when the travellers entered
that High Street grave and holy to all Oxford men. The spirit hovering
above the spires was as different from its concretions in their caps and
gowns as ever the spirit of Christ was from church dogmas.

"Shall we go into Grinnings'?" asked Shelton, as they passed the club.

But each looked at his clothes, for two elegant young men in flannel
suits were coming out.

"You go," said Crocker, with a smirk.

Shelton shook his head. Never before had he felt such love for this old
city. It was gone now from out his life, but everything about it seemed
so good and fine; even its exclusive air was not ignoble. Clothed in the
calm of history, the golden web of glorious tradition, radiant with
the alchemy of memories, it bewitched him like the perfume of a woman's
dress. At the entrance of a college they glanced in at the cool grey
patch of stone beyond, and the scarlet of a window flowerbox--secluded,
mysteriously calm--a narrow vision of the sacred past. Pale and
trencher-capped, a youth with pimply face and random nose, grabbing
at his cloven gown, was gazing at the noticeboard. The college
porter--large man, fresh-faced, and small-mouthed--stood at his lodge
door