Part 6 (2/2)
”And--for clergymen?” questioned Chichester, leaning forward, and dropping his small, thin hands down between his knees.
”What do you mean?”
”Do you think it right for clergymen to indulge themselves--for it is indulgence--in investigations, in attempts to find out more than G.o.d has chosen to reveal to us?”
The man of science in Malling felt impatient with the man of faith in Chichester.
”Does it never occur to you that the _anima mundi_ may have hidden certain things from the minds of mortals just in order to provide them with a field to till?” he said, with a hint of sarcasm. ”Wasn't the fact that the earth revolves round the sun, instead of the sun round the earth, hidden from every living creature till Galileo discovered it? Do you think Galileo deserved our censure?”
”Saul was punished for consulting the witch of Endor,” returned Chichester. ”And the Roman Catholic Church forbids her children to deal in occult things.”
”You can't expect a man like me, a disciple of Stepton, to take the Roman Catholic view of such a matter.”
”You are not a clergyman,” said Chichester.
Malling could not help smiling.
”You think the profession carries with it certain obligations,” he said.
”No doubt it does. But I shall never believe that one of them is to shut your eyes to any fact in the whole scheme of Creation. Harm can never come from truth.”
”If I could believe that!” Chichester cried out.
”Do you mean to tell me you don't believe it?”
Chichester looked at Malling for quite a minute without replying. Then he got up, and said, with a changed voice and manner:
”If the rector doesn't come to see me I shall have to go. Sunday is not a holiday, you know, for us clergymen.”
He drew out his watch and looked at it.
”I shall have to go. I'm taking the Children's Service.”
Malling got up too.
”Is it getting late?” he said. ”Perhaps--”
At this moment the door was gently opened and Mr. Harding appeared.
”Oh, Chichester,” he said. ”I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. What is it? Would you like to come to my study?”
”I must be off,” said Malling. ”May I say good-by to Lady Sophia? Or perhaps she is resting and would rather not be disturbed.”
”I'm sure she would wish to say good-by to you,” said the rector. ”I'll just ask her.”
He shot a quick glance from one man to the other and went out of the room, leaving the door open behind him.
Directly he was gone the curate said: ”It has been such a pleasure to me to renew my acquaintance with you, Mr. Malling. Are you going to be long in London?”
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