I made no answer, but went on diligently with my work.
"Claude has been a great expense to his father," Miss Richards went on; "he has cost him many hundreds at Oxford, and bills are still coming in. He is young yet, you see, and I suppose all young men are extravagant. But it is a great pity that he let the bills run on for so long; some go as far back as his first term."
"What does Claude say about it?" I asked.
"Oh, he is always very much troubled when the bills come, for he sees that his father has not any money to spare, and he talks about the time when he will have money of his own at his uncle Charles's death, and when he will be able to repay all his father has advanced for him. And then he is quite certain that the tradesmen must have added a great deal which he never bought. But it is so long ago, May, nearly four years, so, of course, he cannot be sure of it."
"I am very, very sorry," I said.
"Yes, and so are we," said Miss Richards; "but that anxiety is nothing to the other. Mr. Ellis would not mind how much money he had to pay, if only Claude had not taken up such rationalistic, infidel ideas."
"Does he still hold those views?" I asked. "He spoke to me once about them, a long time ago, but I have heard nothing of it since. I hoped Claude had studied the other side of the question, and had grown wiser."
"Oh, my dear," said Miss Richards, "he seems to me to get worse and worse. At first it was only some small parts of the Bible which he cavilled at, and which he maintained were not inspired; but when he once began to doubt, there was no knowing where he would stop doubting—he carried the same spirit of critical suspicion into everything."
"But surely there are books written which would in a great measure answer Claude's doubts?" I suggested.
"Yes, undoubtedly," said Miss Richards; "but it seems to me Claude prefers doubting, for he does not seem at all anxious to have his doubts cleared away. He does not want to have his mind satisfied, and so he either does not read books on the other side at all; or, if he reads them, he does so fully determined that his scepticism cannot be, and indeed must not be shaken. If Claude would only prayerfully desire, and prayerfully strive to have his doubts removed, I should have no fear about him."