"Do you really suppose God cares whether a man comes to good or ill?"
"If He did not, He could not be good Himself."
"Then you don't think a good God would care to punish poor wretches like us?"
"Your lordship has not been in the habit of regarding himself as a poor wretch. And, remember, you can't call a child a poor wretch without insulting the father of it."
"That's quite another thing."
"But on the wrong side for your argument, seeing the relation between God and the poorest creature is infinitely closer than that between any father and his child."
"Then He can't be so hard on him as the parsons say."
"He will give him absolute justice, which is the only good thing. He will spare nothing to bring his children back to Himself, their sole well-being. What would you do, my lord, if you saw your son strike a woman?"
"Knock him down and horsewhip him."
It was Mr. Graham who broke the silence that followed: "Are you satisfied with yourself, my lord?"