ack, and
worried him. He lifted himself upright in the chair, and then became
conscious that what really disturbed him was the fact that Dr. Ledsmar
had turned in his seat, crossed his legs, and was contemplating him with
a gravely concentrated scrutiny through his spectacles.

This uncomfortable gaze kept itself up a long way beyond the point of
good manners; but the doctor seemed not to mind that at all.

CHAPTER VIII

When Dr. Ledsmar finally spoke, it was in a kindlier tone than the
young minister had looked for. "I had half a notion of going to hear
you preach the other evening," he said; "but at the last minute I backed
out. I daresay I shall pluck up the courage, sooner or later, and really
go. It must be fully twenty years since I last heard a sermon, and I had
supposed that that would suffice for the rest of my life. But they
tell me that you are worth while; and, for some reason or other, I find
myself curious on the subject."

Involved and dubious though the compliment might be, Theron felt himself
flushing with satisfaction. He nodded his acknowledgment, and changed
the topic.

"I was surprised to hear Father Forbes say that he did not preach," he
remarked.

"Why should he?" asked the doctor, indifferently. "I suppose he hasn't
more than fifteen parishioners in a thousand who would understand him
if he did, and of these probably twelve would join in a complaint to his
Bishop about the heterodox tone of his sermon. There is no point in his
going to all that pains, merely to incur that risk. Nobody wants him to
preach, and he has reached an age where personal vanity no longer tempts
him to do so. What IS wanted of him is that he should be the paternal,
ceremonial, authoritative head and centre of his flock, adviser,
monitor, overseer, elder brother, friend, patron, seigneur--whatever you
like--everything except a bore. They draw the line at that. You see how
diametrically opposed this Catholic point of view is to the Protestant."

"The difference does seem extremely curious to me," said Theron. "Now,
those people in the hall--"

"Go on," put in the doctor, as the other faltered hesitatingly. "I know
what you were going to say. It struck you as odd that he should let them
wait on the bench there, while he came up here to smoke."

Theron smiled faintly. "I WAS thinking that my--my parishioners wouldn't
have taken it so quietly. But of course--it is all so different!"

"As chalk from cheese!" sa