He spoke with the utmost gravity, evidently quite easy in his mind that his scheme was the only one by which truth could be successfully attained.

“But pray let me have any criticism you may feel inclined to make.”

“I have none,” said my father.  “Your system commends itself to common sense; it is the one adopted in the law courts, and it lies at the very foundation of party government.  If your academic bodies can supply the country with a sufficient number of thieves—­which I have no doubt they can—­there seems no limit to the amount of truth that may be attained.  If, however, I may suggest the only difficulty that occurs to me, it is that academic thieves shew no great alacrity in falling out, but incline rather to back each other up through thick and thin.”

“Ah, yes,” said Mr. Turvey, “there is that difficulty; nevertheless circumstances from time to time arise to get them by the ears in spite of themselves.  But from whatever point of view you may look at the question, it is obviously better to aim at imperfection than perfection; for if we aim steadily at imperfection, we shall probably get it within a reasonable time, whereas to the end of our days we should never reach perfection.  Moreover, from a worldly point of view, there is no mistake so great as that of being always right.”  He then turned to his class and said—­

“And now tell me what did the Sunchild tell us about God and Mammon?”

The head-boy answered:  “He said that we must serve both, for no man can serve God well and truly who does not serve Mammon a little also; and no man can serve Mammon effectually unless he serve God largely at the same time.”

“What were his words?”

“He said, ’Cursed be they that say, “Thou shalt not serve God and Mammon, for it is the whole duty of man to know how to adjust the conflicting claims of these two deities."’”

Here my father interposed.  “I knew the Sunchild; and I more than once heard him speak of God and Mammon.  He never varied the form of the words he used, which were to the effect that a man must serve either God or Mammon, but that he could not serve both.”

“Ah!” said Mr. Turvey, “that no doubt was his exoteric teaching, but Professors Hanky and Panky have assured me most solemnly that his esoteric teaching was as I have given it.  By the way, these gentlemen are both, I understand, at Sunch’ston, and I think it quite likely that I shall have a visit from them this afternoon.  If you do not know them I should have great pleasure in introducing you to them; I was at Bridgeford with both of them.”

“I have had the pleasure of meeting them already,” said my father, “and as you are by no means certain that they will come, I will ask you to let me thank you for all that you have been good enough to shew me, and bid you good-afternoon.  I have a rather pressing engagement—­”

“My dear sir, you must please give me five minutes more.  I shall examine the boys in the Musical Bank Catechism.”  He pointed to one of them and said, “Repeat your duty towards your neighbour.”