"No. I do not think he was in a praying mood."

"Were you?"

Philip hesitated a moment, and then replied seriously: "Yes, I truly
believe I was--that is, I should not have been ashamed at any part of
the interview to put myself into loving communion with my Heavenly
Father."

Mrs. Strong still looked disturbed and anxious. She was going over in
her mind the probable result of Mr. Winter's antagonism to the minister.
It looked to her like a very serious thing. Philip was inclined to treat
the affair with calm philosophy, based on the knowledge that his
conscience was clear of all fault in the matter.

"What do you suppose Mr. Winter will do?" Mrs. Strong asked.

"He threatened to withdraw his financial support, and said other paying
members would do the same."

"Do you think they will?"

"I don't know. I shouldn't wonder if they do."

"What will you do then? It will be dreadful to have a disturbance in the
church of this kind, Philip; it will ruin your prospects here. You will
not be able to work under all that friction."

And the minister's wife suddenly broke down and had a good cry; while
Philip comforted her, first by saying two or three funny things, and