“Ah! then they are sure to be false.”

“We shall see.  Four Sundays ago you preached a sermon.”

“Two.”

“Ay, but one was against cruelty.”

“It was; the other handled theft.”

“Mr. Hawes conceives himself to have been singled out and exposed by that sermon.”

“Why so? there are more than thirty cruel men in this jail besides him.”

“Then this sermon was not aimed at him?” put Mr. Williams with a pinning air.

“It was and it was not.  It was aimed at that class of my parishioners to which he belongs; a large class, including all the turnkeys but one, between twenty and thirty of the greater criminals among the prisoners—­and Mr. Hawes.”

Mr. Williams bit his lip.  “Gentlemen, this classification shows the animus;” then turning to Mr. Eden he said, with a half-incredulous sneer, “How comes it that Mr. Hawes took this sermon all to himself?”

Mr. Eden smiled.  “How does it happen that two prisoners, 82 and 87, took it all to themselves?  These two men sent for me after the sermon; they were wife-beaters.  I found them both in great agitation.  One terrified, the other softened to tears of penitence.  These did not apply my words to Mr. Hawes.  The truth is when a searching sermon is preached each sinner takes it to himself.  I am glad Mr. Hawes fitted the cap on.  I am glad the prisoners fitted the cap on.  I am sorry Mr. Hawes was irritated instead of reformed.  I am glad those two less hardened sinners were reformed instead of irritated.”

“And I must tell you, sir, that we disapprove of your style of preaching altogether, and we shall do more, we shall make a change in this respect the condition of your remaining in office.”

“And the bishop of the diocese?” asked Mr. Eden.

“What about him?”

“Do you think he will allow you, an ignorant, inexperienced layman, to usurp the episcopal function in his diocese.”

“The episcopal function?  Mr. Eden.”

Mr. Eden smiled.  “He does not even see that he has been trying to usurp sacred functions and of the highest order.  But it is all of a piece—­a profound ignorance of all law, civil or ecclesiastical, characterizes all your acts in this jail.  My good soul, just ask yourself for what purpose does a bishop exist?  Why is one priest raised above other priests, and consecrated bishop, but to enable the Church to govern its servants.  I laugh—­but I ought rather to rebuke you.  What you have attempted is something worse than childish arrogance.  Be warned! and touch not the sacred vessels so rashly—­it is profanation.”

The flashing eye and the deepening voice, and the old awful ecclesiastical superiority suddenly thundering upon them quite cowed the two smaller magistrates.  Williams, whose pomposity the priest had so rudely shaken, gasped for breath with rage.  Magisterial arrogance was not prepared for ecclesiastical arrogance, and the blow was stunning.