“In our church the life of a clergyman is as the life of any other gentleman—­within very broad limits.”

“Then why did Bishop Proudie interfere with your hunting?”

“Limits may be very broad, Harry, and yet exclude hunting.  Bishop Proudie was vulgar and intrusive, such being the nature of his wife, who instructs him; but if you were in orders I should be very sorry to see you take to hunting.”

“It seems to me that a clergyman has nothing to do in life unless he is always preaching and teaching.  Look at Saul”—­Mr. Saul was the curate of Clavering—­“he is always preaching and teaching.  He is doing the best he can; and what a life of it he has.  He has literally thrown off all worldly cares—­and, consequently, everybody laughs at him, and nobody loves him.  I don’t believe a better man breathes, but I shouldn’t like his life.”

At this point there was another pause, which lasted till the cigars had come to an end.  Then, as he threw the stump into the fire, Mr. Clavering spoke again.  “The truth is, Harry, that you have had, all your life, a bad example before you.”

“No, father.”

“Yes, my son; let me speak on to the end, and then you can say what you please.  In me you have had a bad example on one side, and now, in poor Saul, you have a bad example on the other side.  Can you fancy no life between the two, which would fit your physical nature, which is larger than his, and your mental wants, which are higher than mine?  Yes, they are, Harry.  It is my duty to say this, but it would be unseemly that there should be any controversy between us on the subject.”

“If you choose to stop me in that way—­”

“I do choose to stop you in that way.  As for Saul, it is impossible that you should become such a man as he.  It is not that he mortifies his flesh, but that he has no flesh to mortify.  He is unconscious of the flavor of venison, or the scent of roses, or the beauty of women.  He is an exceptional specimen of a man, and you need no more fear, than you should venture to hope, that you could become such as he is.”

At this point they were interrupted by the entrance of Fanny Clavering, who came to say that Mr. Saul was in the drawing room.  “What does he want, Fanny?”

This question Mr. Clavering asked half in a whisper, but with something of comic humor in his face, as though partly afraid that Mr. Saul should hear it, and partly intending to convey a wish that he might escape Mr. Saul, if it were possible.

“It’s about the iron church, papa.  He says it is come—­or part of it has, come—­and he wants you to go out to Cumberly Green about the site.”

“I thought that was all settled.”

“He says not.”