y to speak without due reverence. He knoweth His own elect. He hath
chosen them out from the beginning. He summoned forth from the million,
the glorious apostle of reform, Martin Luther--"

"_Le bon gaillard!_" laughed Duprez. "Tempted by a pretty nun! What man
could resist! Myself, I would try to upset all the creeds of this world
if I saw a pretty nun worth my trouble. Yes, truly! A pity though, that
the poor Luther died of over-eating; his exit from life so undignified!"

"Shut up, Duprez," said Errington severely. "You displease Mr.
Dyceworthy by your fooling."

"Oh, pray do not mention it, Sir Philip," murmured the reverend
gentleman with a mild patience. "We must accustom ourselves to hear with
forbearance the opinions of all men, howsoever contradictory, otherwise
our vocation is of no avail. Yet is it sorely grievous to me to consider
that there should be any person or persons existent who lack the
necessary faith requisite for the performance of God's promises."

"Ye must understand, Mr. Dyceworthy," said Macfarlane in his slow,
deliberate manner, "that ye have before ye a young Frenchman who doesna
believe in onything except himsel'--and even as to whether he himsel' is
a mon or a myth, he has his doots--vera grave doots."

Duprez nodded delightedly. "That is so!" he exclaimed. "Our dear Sandy
puts it so charmingly! To be a myth seems original,--to be a mere man,
quite ordinary. I believe it is possible to find some good scientific
professor who would prove me to be a myth--the moving shadow of a
dream--imagine!--how perfectly poetical!"

"You talk too much to be a dream, my boy," laughed Errington, and
turning to Mr. Dyceworthy, he added, "I'm afraid you must think us a
shocking set. We are really none of us very religious, I fear, though,"
and he tried to look serious; "if it had not been for Mr. Lorimer, we
should have come to church last Sunday. Mr. Lorimer was, unfortunately,
rather indisposed."

"Ya-as!" drawled that gentleman, turning from the little window where he
had been gathering a rose for his button-hole. "I was knocked up; had
fits, and all that sort of thing; took these three fellows all their
time on Sunday to hold me down!"

"Dear me!" and Mr. Dyceworthy was about to make further inquiries
concerning Mr. Lorimer's present state of health, when the door opened,
and Ulrika entered, bearing a large tray laden with wine and other
refreshments. As she set it down, she gave a keen, covert g