ear there. Is it because they believe all that the minister
says, or because they don't believe any of it?"

Her hearers exchanged an alarmed glance.

"What do you want them to do?" said John uneasily. "Argue about it?
Besides, this morning was very exceptionally hot."

"I don't want to be any more heathen than I have to be," went on
Desire, "but I must be terribly heathen if what Mr. McClintock said
this morning is right. He was speaking of pain, physical pain, and, he
said God sent it. I always thought," she concluded naively, "that it
came straight from the devil."

"Healthy chap, McClintock!" said Benis lazily. "Never had anything
worse than measles and doesn't remember them."

"What I'd like to know," said the doctor, "would be his opinion after
several weeks of--something unpleasant. He might feel more like blaming
the devil. What does he think doctors are fighting? God? By Jove, I
must have this out with McClintock! I know that, for one, I never fight
down pain without a glorious sense of giving Satan his licks."

"But you did not even listen."

"I'm listening now."

"And no one else seemed to object to anything he said. I heard some of
them call it a 'beautiful discourse' and 'so helpful.'"

Under her perplexed gaze the two Bainbridgers were clearly
uncomfortable.

"It's because you don't really care what you hear from the pulpit,"
said the girl accusingly. "You have your own beliefs and go your own
ways. Another man's views, good or bad, make no difference."

"S-shish! 'ware Aunt Caroline!" warned the professor, but Desire was
too absorbed to heed.

"Why, if one actually believed half of what was said this morning," she
went on, "the world would be a beautiful garden with half its lovely
things forbidden. 'Don't touch the flowers' and 'Keep off the grass'
would be everywhere. It seems such a waste, if God made so many happy
things and then doesn't like it if people are too happy."

"Not many of us suffer from too much happiness," muttered Benis.

"Or too much health," echoed the doctor. "I'd like to tell McClintock
that if people would expect more health, they'd get more. The ordinary
person expects ill-ness. They have a 'disease complex'--that's in your
line, Benis. But just supposing they could change the idea--Eh?
Supposing everybody began to look for health--just take it, you know,
as a God-intended right? I'd lose half my living in a fortnight."

"John Rogers!" Aunt Caroline's voice fell