“I see no Christianity whatsoever in your speculative philosophy,” retorted the minister. “If what you say is true, and the world should accept it, all that we have learned in the ages past would be blotted out, and falsehood would be written across philosophy, science, and religion. By wafting evil lightly aside as unreal, you dodge the issue, and extend license to all mankind to indulge it freely. Evil is an awful, a stupendous fact! And it can not be relegated to the realm of shadow, as you are trying to do!”
“Did Jesus regard it as a reality?” she asked. “You know, Duns Scotus said: ‘Since there is no real being outside of God, evil has no substantial existence. Perfection and reality are synonyms, hence absolute imperfection is synonymous with absolute unreality.’ Did Jesus know less than this man? And do you really think he looked upon evil as a reality?”
“He most certainly did!”
“Then, if that is true,” said the girl, “I will have to reject him. But come, we are right up to the point of discussing him and his teachings, and that will be the subject of our next meeting. Will you join us, Mr. Moore? It is love, you know, that has drawn us all together. You’ll come?”
“It’s an open forum, Moore,” said the doctor, patting him on the back. “Wisdom isn’t going to die with you. Come and get a new viewpoint.”
“I am quite well satisfied with my present one, Doctor,” replied the minister tartly.
“Well, then, come and correct us when we err. It’s your duty to save us if we’re in danger, you know.”
“He will come,” said Hitt. “And now, Carmen, the piano awaits you. By the way, what did Maitre Rossanni tell you?”
“Oh,” replied the girl lightly, “he begged me to let him train me for Grand Opera.”
“Yes?”