The man of science in Malling felt impatient with the man of faith in
Chichester.

"Does it never occur to you that the _anima mundi_ may have hidden
certain things from the minds of mortals just in order to provide them
with a field to till?" he said, with a hint of sarcasm. "Wasn't the fact
that the earth revolves round the sun, instead of the sun round the
earth, hidden from every living creature till Galileo discovered it? Do
you think Galileo deserved our censure?"

"Saul was punished for consulting the witch of Endor," returned
Chichester. "And the Roman Catholic Church forbids her children to deal
in occult things."

"You can't expect a man like me, a disciple of Stepton, to take the Roman
Catholic view of such a matter."

"You are not a clergyman," said Chichester.

Malling could not help smiling.

"You think the profession carries with it certain obligations," he said.
"No doubt it does. But I shall never believe that one of them is to shut
your eyes to any fact in the whole scheme of Creation. Harm can never
come from truth."

"If I could believe that!" Chichester cried out.

"Do you mean to tell me you don't believe it?"