“Oh, indeed!  Is that so?”

The old man got out of Aaron the detailed account of his circumstances —­how he had left so much money to be paid over to his wife, and had received only a small amount for himself.

“I see you are like Lilly—­you trust to Providence,” said Sir William.

“Providence or fate,” said Aaron.

“Lilly calls it Providence,” said Sir William.  “For my own part, I always advise Providence plus a banking account.  I have every belief in Providence, plus a banking account.  Providence and no banking account I have observed to be almost invariably fatal.  Lilly and I have argued it.  He believes in casting his bread upon the waters.  I sincerely hope he won’t have to cast himself after his bread, one of these days.  Providence with a banking account.  Believe in Providence once you have secured enough to live on.  I should consider it disastrous to believe in Providence BEFORE.  One can never be SURE of Providence.”

“What can you be sure of, then?” said Aaron.

“Well, in moderation, I can believe in a little hard cash, and in my own ability to earn a little hard cash.”

“Perhaps Lilly believes in his own ability, too.”

“No.  Not so.  Because he will never directly work to earn money.  He works—­and works quite well, I am told:  but only as the spirit moves him, and never with any eye to the market.  Now I call that TEMPTING Providence, myself.  The spirit may move him in quite an opposite direction to the market—­then where is Lilly?  I have put it to him more than once.”

“The spirit generally does move him dead against the market,” said Aaron.  “But he manages to scrape along.”

“In a state of jeopardy:  all the time in a state of jeopardy,” said the old man.  “His whole existence, and that of his wife, is completely precarious.  I found, in my youth, the spirit moved me to various things which would have left me and my wife starving.  So I realised in time, this was no good.  I took my spirit in hand, therefore, and made him pull the cart which mankind is riding in.  I harnessed him to the work of productive labour.  And so he brought me my reward.”

“Yes,” said Aaron.  “But every man according to his belief.”

“I don’t see,” said Sir William, “how a man can BELIEVE in a Providence unless he sets himself definitely to the work of earning his daily bread, and making provision for future needs.  That’s what Providence means to me—­making provision for oneself and one’s family.  Now, Mr. Lilly—­and you yourself—­you say you believe in a Providence that does NOT compel you to earn your daily bread, and make provision.  I confess myself I cannot see it:  and Lilly has never been able to convince me.”

“I don’t believe in a kind-hearted Providence,” said Aaron, “and I don’t believe Lilly does.  But I believe in chance.  I believe, if I go my own way, without tying my nose to a job, chance will always throw something in my way:  enough to get along with.”