it seems; and if he had been marked
down in a pot house she could not have spoken with greater loathing.
I suppose that my eyes were less under control than my tongue, for she
suddenly turned upon me with:

"I see that you don't agree with me, Dr. Munro."

I replied quietly that I did not, and tried to change the conversation;
but she was not to be shaken off.

"Why not, may I ask?"

I explained that in my opinion the tendency of the age was to break down
those ridiculous doctrinal points which are so useless, and which have
for so long set people by the ears. I added that I hoped the time
was soon coming when good men of all creeds would throw this lumber
overboard and join hands together.

She half rose, almost speechless with indignation.

"I presume," said she, "that you are one of those people who would
separate the Church from the State?"

"Most certainly," I answered.

She stood erect in a kind of cold fury, and swept out of the room. Jimmy
began to chuckle, and his father looked perplexed.

"I am sorry that my opinions are offensive to Lady Saltire," I remarked.

"Yes, yes; it's a pity; a pity," said he "well, well, we must say what
we think; but it's a pity you think it--a very great pity."

I quite expected to get my dismissal over this business, and indeed,
indirectly I may say that I did so. From that day Lady Saltire was as
rude to me as she could be, and never lost an opportunity of making
attacks upon what she imagined to be my opinions. Of these I never
took the slightest notice; but at last on an evil day she went for me
point-blank, so that there was no getting away from her. It was just
at the end of lunch, when the footman had left the room. She had been
talking about Lord Saltire's going up to London to vote upon some
question in the House of Lords.

"Perhaps, Dr. Munro," said she, turning acidly upon me, "that is also an
institution which has not been fortunate enough to win your approval."

"It is a question, Lady Saltire, which I should much prefer not to
discuss," I answered.

"Oh, you might just as well have the courage of your convictions," said
she. "Since you desire to despoil the National Church, it is natural
enough that you should wish also to break up the Constitution. I have
heard that an atheist is always a red republican."

Lord Saltire rose, wishing, I have no doubt, to put an end to the
conversation. Jimmy and I rose also; and suddenly I saw that instead of
moving