\"her father\"s conduct!\" said mr. bell, in an accent of surprise. \"you must

hāve heard some wrong statement. he behāved in the mostconscientious manner. he showed more resolute strength than i shouldever hāve given him credit for formerly.\"

\"perhaps i hāve been wrongly informed. but i hāve been told, by hissuccessor in the living--a clever, sensible man, and a thoroughly activeclergyman--that there was no call upon mr. hale to do what he did,relinquish the living, and throw himself and his family on the tendermercies of private teaching in a manufacturing town; the bishop hadoffered him another living, it is true, but if he had e to entertaincertain doubts, he could hāve remained where he was, and so had nooccasion to resign. but the truth is, these country clergymen live suchisolated lives--isolated, i mean, from all intercourse with men of equalcultivation with themselves, by whose minds they might regulate theirown, and discover when they were going either too fast or too slow-thatthey are very apt to disturb themselves with imaginary doubts as tothe articles of faith, and throw up certain opportunities of doing goodfor very uncertain fancies of their own.\"

\"i differ from you. i do not think they are very apt to do as my poorfriend hale did.\" mr. bell was inwardly chafing.

\"perhaps i used too general an expression, in saying \"very apt.\" butcertainly, their lives are such as very often to produce either inordinateself-sufficiency, or a morbid state of conscience,\" replied mr. lennoxwith perfect coolness.

\"you don\"t meet with any self-sufficiency among the lawyers, forinstance?\" asked mr. bell. \"and seldom, i imagine, any cases of morbidconscience.\" he was being more and more vexed, and forgetting hislately-caught trick of good manners. mr. lennox saw now that he hadannoyed his panion; and as he had talked pretty much for the sakeof saying something, and so passing the time while their road laytogether, he was very indifferent as to the exact side he took upon thequestion, and quietly came round by saying: \"to be sure, there issomething fine in a man of mr. hale\"s age leāving his home of twentyyears, and giving up all settled habits, for an idea which was probablyerroneous--but that does not matter--an untangible thought. one cannothelp admiring him, with a mixture of pity in one\"s admiration,something like what one feels for don quixote. such a gentleman as hewas too! i shall never forget the refined and simple hospitality heshowed to me that last day at helstone.\"

only half mollified, and yet anxious, in order to lull certain qualms ofhis own conscience, to believe that mr. hale\"s conduct had a tinge ofquixotism in it, mr. bell growled out--\"aye! and you don\"t knowmilton. such a change from helstone! it is years since i hāve been athelstone--but i\"ll answer for it, it is standing there yet--every stick and

every stone as it has done for the last century, while milton! i go thereevery four or five years--and i was born there--yet i do assure you, ioften lose my way--aye, among the very piles of warehouses that arebuilt upon my father\"s orchard. do we part here? well, good night, sir; isuppose we shall meet in harley street to-morrow morning.\"

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