o drive the plow, and
the hazard of having a crop hailed out is adventure enough. But I don't
think it should make one hard on the people who prefer the other thing.
After all, they may be right; the life they take pleasure in may be the
best for them, though it wouldn't appeal to you or me."

"I'm not sure that toleration should be encouraged. It often means
indifference, perhaps a lack of principle."

She grasped tightly the rail around the seat, for the horses plunged down
a sandy slope at a wild gallop, passing at the bottom a horse and buggy
in which sat a man dressed in a dark gray suit, to whom Prescott waved
his hand.

"Is he a clergyman?" asked Gertrude.

"Well," Prescott smiled, "he's a Presbyterian minister. I suppose you
think there's a difference?"

His companion with unusual forbearance let this pass.

"Then you have churches at Sebastian?"

"Four. I can't say they're crowded; but, while we're liberal-minded on
many points, the flocks won't mix. Strikes me as a pity."

"It is a pity; there should be only one strong and united church in every
place."

"And that the right one?" Prescott's eyes twinkled mischievously. "You're
thinking of the one we call Episcopalian?"

"Yes," said Gertrude severely; "the Church."

"I'll admit that I'm on pretty good terms with the lot, but Father
Dillon's my favorite. For one thing, he's a practical farmer as well as a
fine classical scholar. His crowd, for the most part, are hard-up
foreigners; and he shows them how to build decent homes and put their
crops in. All the same, I've quite a high opinion of the Methodist and
the Presbyterian, who are at the opposite end of the scale."

Gertrude showed signs of disapproval.

"In these matters, broad-mindedness may be dangerous. One can't
compromise."

"Well," he said, "even the Roman Curia tried it before the council of
Trent, and your people made an attempt to conciliate the English
Calvinists about Elizabeth's time; you were inclined to Genevan
Protestantism once or twice afterward."

His companion's surprise was evident, and he laughed as he read her
thoughts.

"Oh," he explained, "I used to take some interest in these matters once
upon a time. You see, I was at McGill."

"McGill? I seem to have heard the name, but what does it stand for?"

Prescott looked amused.

"I don't know that it quite means what Oxford does to you, but it's
something of the kind; you might have seen the fine buildings at the fo