"What? You've chucked it! But you can't—can he, Archie? Once a parson, always a parson. Archie can arrange anything."
"True," said Archibald, "but——" He glanced at Mark, who had risen.
"Don't badger me, George," Mark said quietly. "You must find a better fellow than I for King's Charteris. It's been a terrible day. I'm off to bed."
He marched out of the room, leaving George agape with astonishment.
"What the devil's the meaning of this?" he asked of Archibald.
"I'm afraid he's an agnostic."
"Ag—wha-a-t!"
Archibald explained the meaning of the word, not so familiar then as now. George listened, frowning, interjecting many an "Oh!" and "Ah!" and "By Jove!" as the speaker delicately conveyed the impression that he did not despair of leading this errant sheep back into the fold.
"Mark," he concluded, "has shown a great deal of right feeling, my dear George. I cannot doubt but that it will be well with him. But he is not one to be pressed."
"That's sound enough, old Slow-and-Sure, and I suppose we can get some fellow to keep King's Charteris warm for him—eh? And they tell me you'll have livings to give away one of these fine days. Good Lord! what a mess the poor governor has made of things!"