times,
and wanted to be thought gentlemen."

Father Jervis shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, I don't understand it," he said. "If a man was ashamed of
his trade, why did he follow it?"

"I've been thinking," said Monsignor animatedly, "that perhaps
it's the new teaching on Vocation that has made the difference.
Once a man understands that his Vocation is the most honourable
thing he can do, I suppose----There! who's that man," he
interrupted suddenly, "in blue with the badge?"

A tremendous figure was crossing the road just in front of them.
He wore a short, full blue cloak, with a silver badge on the left
breast, a tight-fitting cap of the same colour repeating the same
badge, and from beneath his cloak in front hung a tunic, with
enormous legs in tight blue hose and shoes moving underneath.

"Ah! that's a great man," said the priest. "He's a
Butcher, of course----"

"A butcher!"

"Yes; that's obvious--it's the blue, for one thing, and the cut,
for another. Wait an instant. I shall see his badge directly."

As the great man came past them he saluted deferentially. The
priests bowed with equal deference, lifting their hands to their
broad-leaved hats.

"Yes: he's very high up," said the priest quietly. "A member of
the Council of the National Guild, at least."

"Do you mean that man kills oxen?"

"Not now, of course; he's worked his way up. He probably
represents the Guild in the Assembly."

"Do all the trades have guilds, and are they all represented
in the Assembly?"

"Why, of course! How else could you be certain that the trade
was treated fairly? If all the citizens voted as citizens,
there'd simply be no fair representation at all. Look; there's
a goldsmith--he has probably been to the King; that's a
journeyman with him."

An open car sped past them. Two men were seated in it; both in
clothes of some really beautiful metallic colour; but the cap of
one was plain, while the cap of the other blazed with some device.

"And the women? I can't see any system among them."

"Ah! but there is, though it's harder to detect. They have much more
liberty than the men; but, as a rule, each woman has a predominating
colour, the colour of the head of her family, and all, of course,
wear badges. There are sumptuary laws, I needn't say."

"I shouldn't have guessed it!"

"Well, not as regards price or material, certainly--only size.
There are certain absolute limits on both sides; and fashions
have to manage