The Clydes, accustomed to their physician’s hammerstroke turns of speech, took this under consideration.
“But he wasn’t committing murder in the church just now, I suppose,” insinuated Mrs. Clyde at length.
“Not directly. His immediate business there, I suspect, was bribery.”
“Of whom?”
“The minister.”
“Oh, come, Strong!” protested Mr. Clyde. “Mr. Huddleston isn’t an intellectual giant, I grant you; but he’s certainly a well-meaning and honorable old fellow.”
“Some cynical philosopher has remarked that wicked men have a talent for doing harm, but fools have a genius. Mr. Huddleston’s goodness and honesty, taken in connection with his hopeless ignorance of human nature, are just so much capital to hand for a scoundrel like this Gray.”
“What does he expect to get for his twenty-dol-lar bill?”
“First, a reputation for piety and generosity. Second, that reputation duly certified to by the leading minister of the town.”
“In other words, a testimonial.”