hospitalities. This house is large enough. We shall not meet oftener than
we wish, so we can not quarrel. The only meal we need take together is
dinner. Don't expect too much. Simple but wholesome--that's all we can
promise you in a clergyman's family."

John Storm answered that food was an indifferent matter to him, and that
half an hour after dinner he never knew what he had eaten. The canon
laughed and began again.

"I thought it best you should come to us, being a stranger in London,
though I confess I have never had but one of my clergy residing with me
before. He is here now. You'll see him by-and-bye. His name is Golightly,
a simple, worthy young man, from one of the smaller colleges, I believe.
Useful, you know, devoted to me and to my daughter, but of course a
different sort of person altogether, and--er----"

It was a peculiarity of the canon that whatever he began to talk about,
he always ended by talking of himself.

"I sent for you this morning, not having had the usual opportunity of
meeting before, that I might tell you something of our organization and
your own duties.... You see in me the head of a staff of six clergy."

John Storm was not surprised; a great preacher must be followed by flocks
of the poor; it was natural that they should wish him to help them and to
minister to them.

"We have no poor in my parish, Mr. Storm."

"No poor, sir?"