“Mr. Bentley doesn't bother his head about theology,” said Sally. “He just lives.”
“There's Eldon Parr,” suggested George Bridges, mentioning the name of the city's famous financier; “I'm told he relieved Mr. Bentley of his property some twenty-five years ago. If Mr. Hodder should begin to preach the modern heresy which you desire, Mr Parr might object. He's very orthodox, I'm told.”
“And Mr. Parr,” remarked the modern Evelyn, sententiously, “pays the bills, at St. John's. Doesn't he, father?”
“I fear he pays a large proportion of them,” Mr. Waring admitted, in a serious tone.
“In these days,” said Evelyn, “the man who pays the bills is entitled to have his religion as he likes it.”
“No matter how he got the money to pay them,” added Phil.
“That suggests another little hitch in the modern church which will have to be straightened out,” said George Bridges.
“'Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.'”
“Why, George, you of all people quoting the Bible!” Eleanor exclaimed.
“And quoting it aptly, too,” said Phil Goodrich.