"Nay, sir! they ought; they must. Perhaps not your exaggerated gratitude
for a service which you should not, howover, measure by its effects on
yourself, but by the slightness of the trouble it gave to me; not perhaps
your gratitude, but your respect, yes."

"I tell you no! Do you fancy that I cannot judge of a man's nature
without calling on him to trust me with all the secrets--all the errors,
if you will--of his past life? Will not the calling to which I may now
hold myself destined give me power and commandment to absolve all those
who truly repent and unfeignedly believe? Oh, Mr. Waife! if in earlier
days you have sinned, do you not repent? and how often, in many a lovely
gentle sentence dropped unawares from your lips, have I had cause to know
that you unfeignedly believe! Were I now clothed with sacred authority,
could I not absolve you as a priest? Think you that, in the meanwhile,
I dare judge you as a man? I,--Life's new recruit, guarded hitherto from
temptation by careful parents and favouring fortune,--I presume to judge,
and judge harshly, the gray-haired veteran, wearied by the march, wounded
in the battle!"

"You are a noble-hearted human being," said Waife, greatly affected.
"And, mark my words, a mantle of charity so large you will live to wear
as a robe of honour. But hear me, sir! Mr. Hartopp also is a man
infinitely charitable, benevolent, kindly, and, through all his
simplicity, acutely shrewd; Mr. Hartopp, on hearing what was said against
me, deemed me unfit to retain my grandchild, resigned the trust I had
confided to him, and would have given me alms, no doubt, had I asked
them, but not his hand. Take your hands, sir, from my shoulder, lest the
touch sully you."

George did take his hands from the vagrant's shoulder, but it was to