dears!"

Father Rowley sighed out the last ejaculation to himself, and his sigh
ran through the Bishop's opulent library like a dull wind. Mark had a
mad impulse to tell the Bishop the story of his father and the Lima
Street Mission. His father had resigned on Palm Sunday. Oh, this ghastly
dream. . . . Father Rowley leave Chatsea! It was unimaginable. . . .

But the Bishop was overthrowing the work of ten years with apparently as
little consciousness of the ruin he was creating as a boar that has
rooted up an ant-heap with his snout.

"Quite so. Quite so, Mr. Rowley. I certainly see your point," the Bishop
declared. "I will do my best to secure a priest, but meanwhile . . . let
me see. I need scarcely say how painful your decision has been, what
pain it has caused me. Let me see, yes, in the circumstances I agree
with you that it would be inadvisable to postpone the opening. I think
from every point of view it would be wisest to proceed according to
schedule. Could not this altar or Holy Table be railed off temporarily,
I do not say muffled up, but could not some indication be given of the
fact that I do not sanction its use? In that case I should have no
objection, indeed on the contrary I should be only too happy for you to
carry on with your work either until I can find a temporary substitute
or until the Silchester College authorities can appoint a new missioner.
Dear me, this is dreadfully painful for me."

Father Rowley stared at the Bishop in astonishment.

"You want me to continue?" he asked. "Really, my lord, you will excuse
my plain speaking if I tell you that I am amazed at your point of view.
A moment ago you told me that I must either remove this altar or
resign."

"Pardon me, Mr. Rowley. I did not mention the word 'resign.'"

"And now," the Missioner went on without paying any attention to the
interruption. "You are ready to let me stay at St. Agnes' until a
successor can conveniently be found. If my teaching is as pernicious as
you think, I cannot understand your lordship's tolerating my officiating
for another hour in your diocese."

"Mr. Rowley, you are introducing into this unhappy affair a great deal
of extraneous feeling. I do not reproach you. I know that you are
labouring under the stress of strong emotion. I overlook the manner
which you have adopted towards me. I overlook it, Mr. Rowley. Before we
close this interview, which I must once more assure you is as painful
for me as for you, I