t be
taken, and it was for this purpose that he wanted to consult with
Strong. Never was the Church blessed with a stranger ally than this
freest of free thinkers, who looked at churches very much as he would
have looked at a layer of extinct oysters in a buried mud-bank. Strong's
notion was that since the Church continued to exist, it probably served
some necessary purpose in human economy, though he could himself no more
understand the good of it than he could comprehend the use of human
existence in any shape. Since men and women were here, idiotic and
purposeless as they might be, they had what they chose to call a right
to amuse themselves in their own way, and if this way made some happy
without hurting others, Strong was ready enough to help. He was as
willing to help Hazard as to help Esther, provided the happiness of
either seemed to be within reach; and as for forms of faith it seemed to
him as easy to believe one thing as another. If Esther believed any
thing at all, he could see no reason why she might not believe whatever
Hazard wanted.

With all the good-will in the world he came from his club after dinner
to Hazard's house. As the way was short he did not even grumble, knowing
that he could smoke his cigar as well at one place as at the other. He
found Hazard in his library, walking up and down, with more
discouragement on his face than Strong had ever seen there before. The
old confusion of the room had not quite disappeared; the books were not
yet all arranged on their shelves; pictures still leaned against the
wall; dust had accumulated on them, and even on the large working table
where half-written sermons lay scattered among a mass of notes,
circulars, invitations and unanswered letters. It was clear that Mr.
Hazard was not an orderly person and needed nothing so much as a wife.
Esther would have been little flattered at the remark, now rather common
among his older friends, that almost any wife would be better for him
than none.

With an echo of his old boyish cordiality he welcomed Strong, gave him
the best easy-chair by the fire, and told him to smoke as much as he
liked.

"Perhaps a cigar will give you wisdom," he added. "You will need it, for
I want to consult you about Esther."

"Don't!" said Strong laconically.

"Hush!" replied Hazard. "You put me out. I don't consult you because I
like it, but because I must. The matter is becoming serious, and I must
either consult you or Mrs. Murray.