Roman emperors
took up Peter's plan, and the devil has been in the church ever
since--Peter's Satan, whom the Master told to get behind him. They are
poor prophets, and no martyrs, who honor money as an element of any
importance in the salvation of the world. Hunger itself does
incomparably more to make Christ's kingdom come than ever money did, or
ever will do while time lasts. Of course money has its part, for
everything has; and whoever has money is bound to use it as best he
knows; but his best is generally an attempt to do saint-work by
devil-proxy.

"I can't think where on earth-you got such a sackful of extravagant
notions!" Mr. Redmain added.

"I told you before, sir, I had a father who set me thinking!" answered
Mary.

"I wish I had had a father like yours," he rejoined.

"There are not many such to be had."

"I fear mine wasn't just what he ought to be, though he can't have been
such a rascal as his son: he hadn't time; he had his money to make."

"He had the temptation to make it, and you have the temptation to spend
it: which is the more dangerous, I don't know. Each has led to many
crimes."

"Oh, as to crimes--I don't know about that! It depends on what you call
crimes."

"It doesn't matter whether men call a deed a crime or a fault; the
thing is how God regards it, for that is the only truth about it. What
the world thinks, goes for nothing, because it is never right. It would
be worse in me to do some things the world counts perfectly honorable,
than it would be for this man to commit a burglary, or that a murder. I
mean my guilt might be greater in committing a respectable sin, than
theirs in committing a disreputable one."

Had Mary known anything of science, she might have said that, in morals
as in chemistry, the qualitative analysis is easy, but the quantitative
another affair.

The latter part of this conversation, Sepia listening heard, and
misunderstood utterly.

All the rest of the day Mary was with Mr. Redmain, mostly by his
bedside, sitting in silent watchfulness when he was unable to talk with
her. Nobody entered the room except Mewks, who, when he did, seemed to
watch everything, and try to hear everything, and once Lady Margaret.
When she saw Mary seated by the bed, though she must have known well
enough she was there, she drew herself up with grand English
repellence, and looked scandalized. Mary rose, and was about to retire.
But Mr. Redmain motioned her to sit still.

"