was refined, and his conduct was delicate; so much so that
Charles at once changed his tone in speaking to him. He came to Mr.
Reding, he said, from a sense of duty; and there was nothing in his
conversation to clash with that profession. He explained that he had
heard of Mr. Reding's being unsettled in his religious views, and he
would not lose the opportunity of attempting so valuable an accession to
the cause to which he had dedicated himself.

"I see," said Charles, smiling, "I am in the market."

"It is the bargain of Glaucus with Diomede," answered Mr. Highfly, "for
which I am asking your co-operation. I am giving you the fellowship of
Apostles."

"It is, I recollect, one of the characteristics of your body," said
Charles, "to have an order of Apostles, in addition to Bishops, Priests,
and Deacons."

"Rather," said his visitor, "it is the special characteristic; for we
acknowledge the orders of the Church of England. We are but completing
the Church system by restoring the Apostolic College."

"What I should complain of," said Charles, "were I at all inclined to
listen to your claims, would be the very different views which different
members of your body put forward."

"You must recollect, sir," answered Mr. Highfly, "that we are under
Divine teaching, and that truth is but gradually communicated to the
Church. We do not pledge ourselves what we shall believe to-morrow by
anything we say to-day."

"Certainly," answered Reding, "things have been said to me by your
teachers which I must suppose were only private opinions, though they
seemed to be more."

"But I was saying," said Mr. Highfly, "that at present we are restoring
the Gentile Apostolate. The Church of England has Bishops, Priests, and
Deacons, but a Scriptural Church has more; it is plain it ought to have
Apostles. In Scripture Apostles had the supreme authority, and the three
Anglican orders were but subordinate to them."

"I am disposed to agree with you there," said Charles. Mr. Highfly
looked surprised and pleased. "We are restoring," he said, "the Church
to a more Scriptural state; perhaps, then, we may reckon on your
co-operation in doing so? We do not ask you to secede from the
Establishment, but to acknowledge the Apostolic authority to which all
ought to submit."

"But does it not strike you, Mr. Highfly," answered Reding, "that there
_is_ a body of Christians, and not an inconsiderable one, which
maintains with you, and, what is mo