"I perceived that he was amused once or twice," replied the vicar, with a smile.
"I confess that I may have smiled at one or two points in your discourse."
"Excuse my interrupting you," said Mrs. Haldane; "will you not walk? You can spare time to accompany us a little way?"
Mr. Santley bowed, and Mrs. Haldane signed to the coachman to drive on slowly towards the village.
"For example," resumed Mr. Haldane, "I see you still stick to the old chronology and the mythic Eden."
"And yet you should be aware that at least a thousand years before the date you fix for the creation of Adam, tribes of savage hunters and fishers peopled the old fir-woods of Denmark, and set their nets in the German Ocean."
"It may eventually prove necessary to revise the chronology of the Bible," replied the vicar; "but there is at present too much conflict of opinion among your archaeologists to decide on the absolute age of these tribes. After all, the question is one of minor importance."
"Granted. But you cannot say the same of the efficacy of prayer."
Mrs. Haldane laid her hand on her husband's arm, and stopped abruptly. "Ask Mr. Santley to dinner, George, and then you can discuss as long and as profoundly as you like; but I will not allow you to argue now. Besides, I want to talk to Mr. Santley."
Mr. Haldane laughed good-naturedly. "Just as you please, my dear. If Mr. Santley will favour us with his company, I shall be very glad. Your predecessor was a frequent visitor at our house. A jovial, rubicund fellow, whose troubles in this life were less of the world and the devil than of the flesh! A fat, ponderous man and a Tory, as all fat men are; a sort of Falstaff _in pontificalibus_; a man with a wit and a shrewd palate for old port. Poor fellow! he was snuffed out like a candle. One could have better spared a better man."
"Will you come to-morrow?" asked Mrs. Haldane; "and, if your sister can accompany you, will you bring her? You will excuse our informality and so short a notice."
"I shall be very happy to call tomorrow."
"Then, if you can spare me a few moments I will have a better opportunity of speaking to you. I must learn all about the parish, and I have a whole catechism of questions to ask you. You will come to-morrow, then?" she concluded, with one of those flashing looks from her great dark eyes.