e a
creed? and if no creed, how shall we have a church?"

"And if no church, how then parsons? Follow it on, and it comes to
that. But, in truth, you require too much; and so you get--nothing.
Your flocks do not believe, do not pray, do not listen to you. They
are not in earnest. In earnest! Heavens! if a man could believe all
this, could be in earnest about it, how possibly could he care for
other things? But no; you pride yourselves on faith; but you have no
faith. There is no such thing left. In these days men do not know
what faith is."

In the evening, when the ladies had gone to their rooms, they were
again together; and Bertram thought that he would speak of Caroline.
But he was again foiled. There had been some little bickering on the
part of Mrs. Wilkinson. She had been querulous, and had not cared to
hide it, though George and Adela were sitting there as guests. This
had made her son unhappy, and he now spoke of it.

"I am sorry you should hear my mother speak in that way, George. I
hope I am not harsh to her. I try to refrain from answering her. But
unless I go back to my round jackets, and take my food from her hand
like a child, I cannot please her."

"Perhaps you are too careful to please her. I think you should let
her know that, to a certain extent, you must be master in your own
house."

"Ah! I have given that up long since. She has an idea that the house
is hers. I do not care to thwart her in that. Perhaps I should have
done it at first; but it is too late now. To-night she was angry with
me because I would not read a sermon."

"And why then didn't you?"

"I have preached two to-day." And the young clergyman yawned somewhat
wearily. "She used to read them herself. I did put a stop to that."

"Why so? why not let her read them?"

"The girls used to go to sleep, always--and then the servants slept
also, I don't think she has a good voice for sermons. But I am sure
of this, George--she has never forgiven me."

"And never will."

"Sometimes, I almost think she would wish to take my place in the
pulpit."

"The wish is not at all unnatural, my dear fellow."

"The truth is, that Lord Stapledean's message to her, and his
conduct about the living, has quite upset her. I cannot blame Lord
Stapledean. What he did was certainly kind. But I do blame myself. I
never should have accepted the living on those terms--never, never.
I knew it when I did it, and I have never since ceased to repent it."