ch your conduct
caused life to leave owing to her. She loves bright dresses, cigarettes,
and wine and the things that are anathema in an Evangelical household."

"My wife will find the gaiety and laughter of holiness," replied
the fanatic. "She will not be stinted of money to dress herself with
becoming modesty; and as for alcohol and tobacco, no one knows better
than myself how easy it is to give them up."

"You seem as merciless in your virtues as you were in your vices," said
I.

"I have to bring souls to Christ," he answered.

"That doesn't appear to be the way," I retorted, "to bring them."

"Pray remember, Sir Marcus," said he, bending his brows upon me, "that I
did not ask you for suggestions as to the conduct of my ministry."

"The general methods you adopt in the case of your congregation," said
I, "are matters of perfect indifference to me. But I cannot see Judith
imprisoned for life in a tin church without a protest. Your proposal
reminds me of the Siennese who owed a victorious general more than they
could possibly repay. The legend goes that they hanged him, in order to
make him a saint after his death by way of reward. I object to this sort
of canonisation of Judith. And she will object, too. You seem to leave
her out of account altogether. She is mistress of her own actions. She
has a will of her own. She is not going to give up her comfortable flat
off the Tottenham Court Road in order to dwell in Hoxton. She won't go
back to you under your conditions."

He smiled indulgently and held out his hand to signify that the
interview was over.

"She will, Sir Marcus."

Was there ever such a Torquemada of a creature? I respect religion. I
respect this man's intense conviction of the reality of his conversion.
I can respect even the long frock coat and the long brown whiskers,
which in the case of so dashing a worldling as Rupert Mainwaring were
a deliberate and daily mortification of the flesh. But I hold in
shuddering detestation "the thumb-screw and the rack for the glory of
the Lord," which he cheerfully contemplated applying to Judith.

"Why on earth can't you let the poor woman alone?" I asked, ignoring his
hand.

"I am doing my duty to God and to her," said he.

"With the result that you have driven her into hysterics."

"She'll get over them," said he.

"I wish you good-day," said I. "We might talk together for a thousand
years without understanding each other."

"Pardon me," he retorte