TheonethingthatMr。KnighthadfearedforyearswasthatGodfrey，who，asheknew，wasfonderofIsobelthanofanyotherlivingcreature，shouldcometoloveherinafullerfashion：Isobel，agirlwhohadlaughedatandfloutedhimandoncetoldhimtohisfacethatastudyofhischaracterandtreatmentofothershaddonemoretoturnherfromtheChristianreligionthananythingelse。
Inasensehewasunselfishinthismatter，orratherhishatemasteredhisselfishness。HeknewverywellthatIsobelwouldbeagreatmatchforGodfrey，andhewasbynomeansamanwhounderratedmoneyandpositionandtheirpower。Heguessed，too，thatshereallylovedhimandwouldhavemadehimthebestofwives；thatwithherathissidehemightdoalmostanythingintheworld。Buttheseconsiderationsdidnotintheleastsoftenhisloathingoftheverythoughtofsuchamarriage。Incredibleasitmayseem，hewouldratherhaveseenGodfreydeadthanthehappyhusbandofIsobel。
Mr。Knight，drunkwithrage，reeledratherthanwalkedawayfromthechurchdoor，wonderingwhathemightdotobaulkandshamethatliving，lovingpairwhocouldkissandclingevenamongthetombs。A
thoughtcametohim，averyevilthoughtwhichhewelcomedasaninspirationsentstraightfromanoffendedHeaven。SirJohnBlakehadcomehome；heknewit，forhehadpassedhimontheroadseatedaloneinafinemotor-car，andtheyhadwavedtheirhandstoeachothernottenminutesbefore。Hewouldgoandtellhimall；inthecharacterofanuprightmanwhodoesnotliketoseehisrichneighbourharmedbytheentanglementofthatneighbour’sdaughterinanundesirablerelationship。ThatSirJohnwouldconsiderhimselftobeharmed，hewassureenough，beingbynomeansignorantofhisplansandaspirationsforthefutureofthatdaughter，whowasexpectedtomakeagreatallianceinreturnforthefortunewhichshewouldbringtoherhusband。
Nosoonersaidthandone。InthreeminuteshewasattheHalland，asitchanced，metSirJohnbythefrontdoor。
“Hullo，Reverend!Howareyou？Youlookverywetandmiserable；takingrefugefromtherain，Isuppose，thoughitisclearingoffnow。Haveabrandyandsoda，oraglassofport？“
“Thankyou，SirJohn，Iamanabstainer，butacupofhotteawouldbewelcome。“
“Tea——ah!yes，butthattakestimetomake，soIshouldhavetoleaveyoutodrinkitbyyourself。FactisIwanttofindmydaughter。Someofthoseblessedguestsofmine，includingMounteroy，theyoungEarl，youknow，whomIwishhertomeetparticularly，arecomingdownto-nightbythelasttrainandnotto-morrow，soImustgeteverythingarrangedinahurry。Can’tmakeoutwherethegirlhasgone。“
“IthinkIcantellyou，SirJohn，“saidMr。Knightwithasicklysmile；“atleastIsawheralittlewhileagoratherpeculiarlyengaged。“
“Where，andhowwassheengaged？“
WithoutaskingpermissionMr。Knightenteredthehouseandsteppedintoacloak-roomthatopenedoutofthehall。Beingcurious，SirJohnfollowedhim。Mr。Knightshutthedoorand，supportinghimselfagainsttheframeofamarblewash-basinwithgildedtaps，said：
“IsawherinthechanceloftheAbbeyChurchandshewaskissingmyson，Godfrey；atleasthewaskissingher，andsheseemedtoberespondingtohisinfamousadvances，forherarmswereroundhisneckandIheardsoundswhichsuggestedthatthiswasso。“
“HolyMoses!“ejaculatedSirJohn，“whatinthenameofhellaretheyafter？“
“Yourquestion，strippedofitsunnecessaryandprofaneexpletives，seemseasytoanswer。Iimaginethatmyimmoralsonhasjustproposedtoyourdaughter，andbeenacceptedwith——well，unusualemphasis。“
“Perhapsyouareright。ButifhehadIdon’tseeanythingparticularlyimmoralaboutit。IfIhadneverdoneanythingworsethanthatIshouldn’tfeelmyselfcalledtogouponmykneesandcry/peccavi/。However，thatain’tthepoint。Thepointisthatagameofthissortdon’tatallsuitmybook，but，“herehelookedattheclergymanshrewdly，“whydo/you/cometotellaboutit？Ishouldhavethoughtthatunderallthecircumstances/you/shouldhavebeenglad。
Isobelisn’tlikelytobeexactlyabeggar，youknow，soitseemsdevilishqueerthatyoushouldobject，asIgatheryoudo；unlessitistothekissing，whichhasbeenheardofbefore。“
“Idoobjectmoststrongly，SirJohn，“repliedMr。Knightinhisiciesttones。“Idisapproveentirelyofyourdaughter，whoselackofanyChristianfeelingisnotorious，andwhosecorruptinginfluencewill，Ifear，makemysonasbadasherself。“
“DamnherlackofChristianfeeling，anddamnyoursandyourimpudencetoo，youhalf-drownedchurchrat!Whydon’tyoucallherJezebelatonce，andhavedonewithit？OneofthethingsIlikeaboutheristhatshehastheplucktosnapherfingersatsuchasyouandallyourignorantsuperstitions。Whatareyougettingat？ThatiswhatIwanttoknow。“
“Iputasideyourinsultstowhichasaclergymanitismydutytoturntheothercheek，“repliedMr。Knight，withafuriousgasp。“AstotherestIamtryingtogetatthepureandsacredtruth。“
“Youlookasthoughyouwoulddobettertogetatthepureandsacredbrandy，“remarkedSirJohn，surveyinghimcritically，“butthat’syouraffair。Now，whatisthetruth？“
“Alas!thatImustsayit。Ibelievemysontobethatbasestofcreatures，afortune-hunter。Howdidhegetthatmoneylefttohimbyanotherwoman？“
“Don’tknow，I’msure。Perhapstheoldgirlfoundtheyoungchapattractive，andwishedtoacknowledgefavoursreceived。Suchthingshavebeenknown。Youdon’tsupposeheforgedherwill，doyou？“
“Youareribald，Sir，ribald。“
“AmI？Well，andyouarejollyoffensive。ThankGodyouweren’tmyfather。Now，fromwhatIrememberofthatboyofyours，Ishouldn’thavethoughtthathewasafortune-hunter。Ishouldhavethoughtthathewasayoungbeggarwhowishedtogetholdofthegirlhefancies，andthat’sall。Still，youknowhimbest，andIdaresayyouareright。Anyway，foryourownpeculiarandcrack-brainedreasons，youdon’twantthisbusiness，andIsayatonceyoucan’twantitlessthanIdo。DoyousupposethatIwishtoseemyonlychild，whowillhavehalfamillionofmoneyandmightbeacountess，orhalfadozencountesses，to-morrow，marriedtothesonofabeggarlysnivellerlikeyou，forasyouaresofondofthepureandsacredtruth，I’llgiveityou——afellowwhocancomeandpeachuponyourownboyandhisgirl。“
“Myconscienceandmyduty——“beganMr。Knight。
“Oh!dratyourconscienceandblowyourduty。You’reaspyandabackbitingtell-tale，that’swhatyouare。Didyouneverkissagirlyourself？“
“NeveruntilafterIwasmarried，whenwearespeciallyenjoinedbythegreatApostle——“
“ThenI’msorryforyourwife，forshemusthavehadalottoteachyou。Butlet’sstopslanging，wehaveourownopinionsofeachotherandthere’sanend。Nowwehaveboththesameobject，youbecauseyouareapiouscrankandnomorehumanthanadriedeel，andIbecauseI
amamanoftheworldwhowanttoseemydaughterwheresheoughttobe，wearingacoronetintheHouseofLords。Thequestionis：Howisthejobtobedone？Youdon’tunderstandIsobel，butIdo。Ifherbackisputup，wildhorseswon’tmoveher。She’dsnapherfingersinmyface，andtellmetogotoaplacethatyouarebetteracquaintedwiththanIam，orwillbe，andtakemymoneywithme。Ofcourse，Icouldholdherforafewmonths，tillsheisofageperhaps，butafterthat，No。Soitseemsthattheonlychanceisyourson。Now，what’shisweakpoint？Canhebeboughtoff？“
“Certainlynot，“saidMr。Knight。
“Oh!that’soddinonewho，yousay，isafortune-hunter。Well，whatisit？Everyonehasaweakpoint，andanothergirlwon’tdojustnow。“
“HisweakestpointishisfondnessforthattreacherousandabominablesexofwhichIhavejusthadsopainfulanexample；andinthechurchtoo，yes，inmychurch。“
“Andajollygoodplacetogettoinsucharain，forofcoursetheydidn’tknowthatyouwerehidingunderthepews。ButI’vetoldyouthatcockwon’tfightatpresent。What’sthenext？“
AttheseaccumulatedinsultsMr。Knightturnedperfectlylividwithsuppressedrage。Buthedidsuppressit，forhehadanobjecttogainwhich，tohispervertedmind，wasthemostimportantinthewholeworld——namely，thefinalseparationofhissonandIsobel。
“Hisnextbadpoint，“hewenton，“ishispride，whichisabnormal，althoughfromchildhoodIhavedonemybesttoinculcatehumilityofspiritintohisheart。Hecannotbearanyaffront，orevenneglect。
Forinstance，heleftmeforsomeyearsjustbecausehedidnotconsiderthathewasreceivedproperlyonhisreturnfromSwitzerland；
alsobecausehewentintoarage，forhehasaveryeviltemperifroused，whenIsuggestedthathewantedtorunafteryourdaughter’smoney。“
“Well，itwasn’taverynicethingtosay，wasit？ButIthinkIseelight。He’sproud，ishe，anddon’tlikeallusionstofortune-hunting。
Allright；I’llrubhisnoseinthedirtandmakehimgood。I’mjusttheboyforajobofthatsort，asperhapsyouwillagree，myreverendfriend；andifheshowshisairstome，I’llkickhimoffthepremises。Comeon!Idaresayweshallfindthemstillinthechurch，wheretheythinkthemselvessosnug，althoughtherainhasstopped。“
Sothispreciouspairstarted，eachofthembent，thoughfordifferentreasons，uponasevilamissionasthemindofmancanconceive。Forwhatistheremorewickedthantowishtobringabouttheseparationandsubsequentmiseryoftwoyoungpeoplewho，astheyguessedwellenough，lovedeachotherbodyandsoul，andtherebytospoiltheirlives？Yet，sostrangeishumannature，thatneitherofthemthoughtthattheywerecommittinganysin。Mr。Knight，nowandafterwards，justifiedhimselfwiththereflectionthathewaspartinghissonfroma“pernicious“youngwomanofstrongcharacter，whowouldprobablyleadhimawayfromreligionasitwasunderstoodbyhim。Onealsowhomhelookeduponastheworstofoutcasts，whodeservedanddoubtlesswasdestinedtoinhabithell，becausehastilyshehadrejectedhisformoffaith，astheyoungareapttodo，forreasons，howeverhollow，thatseemedtohersufficient。