"Wrong," said Paul. "I'm Church of England, or I think I am still. And I'm going to be a missionary, or"--and suddenly for the first time he saw, clearly, the gulf that might be ahead--"I pray God that I am." The Bishop's smile died away, but his tone was none the less kindly when he spoke after a few minutes' quiet scrutiny of the other's face. Then: "Mr. Kestern," he said, "I take it, if you won't think me rude, that you are going through the mill like the rest of us have had to do." And Paul, impulsively, nodded, and in a few minutes was opening his heart, while the miles slipped fast away and the train rushed as easily as destiny along its railed road. "You can't be a Roman Catholic," said the Bishop decisively when Paul had finished. "Why not?" "Because you know too much history to believe in the Pope." "Honestly," said Paul, "I see no reason in history to disbelieve in the Pope." "His infallibility?" "_Vox corporis, vox capitis_," retorted Paul; "and if the Church has no head, no ultimate authority, how can it speak?" "The Church has ultimate authority. It resides in the whole college of bishops dispersed throughout the world. The Papal power is a growth due to various human circumstances, and in its final definition is contrary to the true Catholic faith." "Surely that's what every heretic has said of every definition. That's what was said when every creed came to be formulated in order to safeguard the faith against the increasing theorising of men. That's what the Congregationalists say about the Sacraments." "But the test lies in the acceptance of the new statement by the whole Catholic body." Paul nodded eagerly. "And for four hundred years at least the whole Catholic body accepted Pope Leo's definition of the Papacy, which is good enough to justify it, and, sir, has the whole Church accepted your theory? Have even the English bishops accepted it? Are you not almost alone on the bench in your views?" "Well, but judge for yourself. Read your Bible and pray. Is there a Pope in the Holy Scriptures? Wasn't the First Council of Jerusalem a meeting of the college of bishops?" "And that," retorted Paul, "is what they said at Keswick. 'Read your Bible and pray.' Only, let alone the Pope, most of them don't see even a bishop at Jerusalem!" The big man took it in good part. "Someone has been prompting you, young man," he said kindly. "Father Vassall," replied Paul instantly. "Ah! Have you ever been abroad?" The elder man's voice hardened subtly. "No." "Well, don't judge Roman Catholicism by its appearance in England. It's at its best here. It wears Sunday clothes. Priests don't keep mistresses in England, and the worship of the saints is not quite the idolatry it is in Italy." Paul flushed suddenly, but sat silent.