It was Mrs. Porter who precipitated matters by piously attributing Allis's escape to Providence.
“Undoubtedly, undoubtedly!” Mr. Dolman said, putting the points of his fingers together in front of his lean chest. He paused a moment, and Porter groaned inwardly; he knew that attitude. The fingers were rapiers, stilettos; presently their owner would thrust, with cutting phrase, proving that they were all indeed a very bad lot. Perhaps John Porter would have resented this angrily had he not felt that the Reverend Inquisitor was really honest in his beliefs, albeit intolerably narrow in his conclusions.
Dolman broke the temporary silence. “But we shouldn't tempt Providence by worshiping false images. Love of animals is commendable—commendable”—he emphasized this slight concession—“but race horses always appeal to me as instruments of the Evil One.”
“It wasn't the horse's fault at all, Mr. Dolman,” Allis interposed, “but just a depraved human's. It was the boy Shandy's fault.”
“I wasn't thinking of one horse,” continued the minister, airily; “I meant race horses in general.”
“I think Mr. Dolman is right,” ventured Mrs. Porter, hesitatingly; “it's flying in the face of Providence for a girl to go amongst those race horses.”
“Bad-tempered men make them vicious, mother,” Allis said; “and I believe that Shandy's punishment was the visitation of Providence, if there was any.”
The Reverend Dolman's face took on an austere look. It was an insult to the divine powers to assert that they had taken the part of a race horse. But he turned the point to his own ends. “It's quite wrong to abuse the noble animal; and that's one reason why I hold that racing is contrary to the Creator's intentions, quite apart from the evil effect it has on morals.”
“Are all men immoral who race, Mr. Dolman?” John Porter asked.
His question forced Dolman to define his position. Porter always liked things simplified; racing was either wrong in principle or right. Dolman found him rather a difficult man to tackle. He had this irritating way of brushing aside generalization and forcing the speaker to get back to first principles.