with him was a part of
religion, was in many of its mouthpieces no more of a religion than the faith in
rotten boroughs; and he was thus predisposed to distrust Harold Transome.
Harold, in his turn, disliked impracticable notions of loftiness and purity -
disliked all enthusiasm; and he thought he saw a very troublesome, vigorous
incorporation of that nonsense in Felix. But it would be foolish to exasperate
him in any way.
    »If you choose to accompany me to Jermyn's office,« he went on, »the matter
shall be inquired into in your presence. I think you will agree with me, Mr
Lyon, that this will be the most satisfactory course?«
    »Doubtless,« said the minister, who liked the candidate very well, and
believed that he would be amenable to argument; »and I would caution my young
friend against a too great hastiness of words and action. David's cause against
Saul was a righteous one; nevertheless not all who clave unto David were
righteous men.«
    »The more was the pity, sir,« said Felix. »Especially if he winked at their
malpractices.«
    Mr Lyon smiled, shook his head, and stroked his favourite's arm
deprecatingly.
    »It is rather too much for any man to keep the consciences of all his
party,« said Harold. »If you had lived in the East, as I have, you would be more
tolerant. More tolerant, for example, of an active industrious selfishness, such
as we have here, though it may not always be quite scrupulous: you would see how
much better it is than an idle selfishness. I have heard it said, a bridge is a
good thing - worth helping to make, though half the men who worked at it were
rogues.«
    »O yes!« said Felix, scornfully, »give me a handful of generalities and
analogies, and I'll undertake to justify Burke and Hare, and prove them
benefactors of their species. I'll tolerate no nuisances but such as I can't
help; and the question now is, not whether we can do away with all the nuisances
in the world, but with a particular nuisance under our noses.«
    »Then we had better cut the matter short, as I propose, by going at once to
Jermyn's,« said Harold. »In that case, I must bid you good-morning, Mr Lyon.«
    »I would fain,« said the minister, looking uneasy - »I would fain have had a
further opportunity