"Stop. Is it a Monarchy?"
"Certainly. Edward IX—a young man—is on the throne."
"Go on."
"Christianity, then, holds the field. Of course there are infidels left, who write letters to the newspapers sometimes, and hold meetings, and so on. But they are practically negligible. As regards Church property, practically everything has finally been given back to us;—I mean in the way of buildings, and, very largely, revenues too. All the cathedrals are ours, and all parish churches built before the Reformation, as well as all other churches in parishes where there was not organized Protestant resistance."
"I thought you said there were no Protestants."
Father Jervis suddenly laughed aloud.
"Monsignor, are you really serious? Do you really mean you wish me to go on?"
"Good God, man! I'm not playing a game. . . . Go on, please. Tell me about the Protestants."
"Well, of course there are some Protestants left. I think they've got four or five churches in London, and . . . and . . . yes, I'm sure of it, they've got some kind of bishop. But really I scarcely know. I shall have to look it up."
"Well, go on."