would make me so happy as for you to join us--
you and the Padre."

"Your Padre! Surely he----"

"No; he thinks differently. But I have sometimes
fancied--that is--hoped--I don't know----"

"But, Arthur! he's a priest."

"What of that? There are priests in the society
--two of them write in the paper. And why
not? It is the mission of the priesthood to lead
the world to higher ideals and aims, and what else
does the society try to do? It is, after all, more
a religious and moral question than a political one.
If people are fit to be free and responsible citizens,
no one can keep them enslaved."

Gemma knit her brows. "It seems to me,
Arthur," she said, "that there's a muddle somewhere
in your logic. A priest teaches religious
doctrine. I don't see what that has to do with
getting rid of the Austrians."

"A priest is a teacher of Christianity, and the
greatest of all revolutionists was Christ."

"Do you know, I was talking about priests to
father the other day, and he said----"