ed hard and my old age is
comfortably provided for, and when I die what I have would naturally go
to Vane, who, on his own showing, couldn't have it; in fact, as you
know, he has given up about a thousand a year as it is that he had from
my brother Alfred."

"You will not get much sympathy from Father Baldwin on that score,
father," laughed Vane, "you know he gave up nearly twice as much."

"There is nothing in that," said Father Baldwin, hastily, as though he
would stop them saying any more, "that is a point on which I entirely
agree with you. When a man has money of his own, and devotes himself to
the service of the Church, he should devote his money to it also. As a
Christian and a priest he can have no lawful use for it, save in the
work of the Church."

"Unless he happens to be married and have a family," said Sir Arthur.
"What ought he to do then, Father Baldwin?"

"In that case, Sir Arthur," he replied, "I think he would do better to
keep out of the ministry and devote himself honestly to the affairs of
his own household. You remember, of course, what the Apostle Paul tells
us, that the man who neglects those is worse than an infidel. Of course,
it is not a good translation, and it reads very badly now that infidel
has come to mean one who does not believe in creeds. It should, of
course, read unfaithful, I mean, unfaithful to the solemn
responsibilities he has taken upon himself; and, although I may be
wrong, I find it difficult to see how a man can faithfully discharge
those obligations and those of a priest of the Church, but that opens a
very wide question, and there is a very great deal to be said on both
sides of it."

"There I quite agree with you," said Sir Arthur, "you know, of course,
better than I do, that there are hundreds of hard-worked parsons in this
country--especially in poor parishes--who can't afford curates, who
simply couldn't get on without their wives, and I know one or two myself
who say that their wives are worth a couple of curates. I'm fairly
certain that in most poor country parishes the parson's wife is the good
angel of the place."

"There is not the slightest doubt about it," replied Father Baldwin, "I
have seen quite enough of church work to convince me of that, and this
is, of course, the very strongest argument, and a very convincing one,
too, in a certain degree, against the celibacy of the clergy. But,
still, Sir Arthur," he went on, with a change of tone, "I suppose yo