to give us a mug of wine of their own making.
Saints! Oh, Mr. Hethcote, what will you accuse us of being next? I
declare your suspicions of the poor Socialists keep cropping up again as
fast as I cut them down. May I make a guess, sir, without offending
you? From one or two things I have noticed, I strongly suspect you're a
British clergyman."

Mr. Hethcote was conquered at last: he burst out laughing. "You have
discovered me," he said, "travelling in a coloured cravat and a shooting
jacket! I confess I should like to know how."

"It's easily explained, sir. Visitors of all sorts are welcome at
Tadmor. We have a large experience of them in the travelling season.
They all come with their own private suspicion of us lurking about the
corners of their eyes. They see everything we have to show them, and eat
and drink at our table, and join in our amusements, and get as pleasant
and friendly with us as can be. The time comes to say goodbye--and then
we find them out. If a guest who has been laughing and enjoying himself
all day, suddenly becomes serious when he takes his leave, and shows
that little lurking devil of suspicion again about the corners of his
eyes--it's ten chances to one that he's a clergyman. No offence, Mr.
Hethcote! I acknowledge with pleasure that the corners of _your_ eyes
are clear again. You're not a very clerical clergyman, sir, after all--I
don't despair of converting you, yet!"

"Go on with your story, Amelius. You're the queerest fellow I have met
with, for many a long day past."

"I'm a little doubtful about going on with my story, sir. I have told
you how I got to Tadmor, and what it looks like, and what sort of people
live in the place. If I am to get on beyond that, I must jump to the
time when I was old enough to learn the Rules of the Community."

"Well--and what then?"

"Well, Mr. Hethcote, some of the Rules might offend you."

"Try!"

"All right, sir! don't blame me; _I'm_ not ashamed of the Rules. And
now, if I am to speak, I must speak seriously on a serious subject; I
must begin with our religious principles. We find our Christianity in
the spirit of the New Testament--not in the letter. We have three good
reasons for objecting to pin our faith on the words alone, in that book.
First, because we are not sure that the English translation is always
to be depended on as accurate and honest. Secondly, because we know that
(since the invention of printing) there is not a copy of the b