"Ah, yes, I was at Oxford. Well, as I was saying, I shall not detain you with an account of my spiritual struggles there.... I think I may almost without presumption refer to them as my spiritual progress ... let it suffice that I found myself on the vigil of my ordination after a year at Cuddesdon Theological College a convinced High Churchman. This must not be taken to mean that I belonged to the more advanced or what I should prefer to call the Italian party in the Church of England. I did not." Laurence here paused and looked at John earnestly; since John had not the remotest idea what the Italian party meant and was anxious to avoid being told, he said in accents that sought to convey relief at hearing his brother-in-law's personal contradiction of a charge that had for long been whispered against him: "Oh, you didn't?" "No, I did not. I was not prepared to go one jot or one tittle beyond the Five Points." "Of the compass, you mean," said John, wisely. "Quite so." Then seeing that Laurence seemed rather indignant, he added quickly, "Did I say the compass? How idiotic! Of course, I meant the law." "The Five Points are the Eastward Position...." "It was the compass after all," John thought. "What a fool I was to hedge." "The Mixed Chalice, Lights, Wafer Bread, and Vestments, but _not_ the ceremonial use of Incense." "And those are the Five Points?" Laurence inclined his head. "Which you were not prepared to go beyond, I think you said?" John gravely continued, flattering himself that he was re-established as an intelligent listener. "In adhering to these Five Points," Laurence proceeded, "I found that I was able to claim the support of a number of authoritative English divines. I need only mention Bishop Ken and Bishop Andrews for you to appreciate my position." "Eastward, I think you said," John put in; for his brother-in-law had paused again, and he was evidently intended to say something. "I perceive that you are not acquainted with the divergences of opinion that unhappily exist in our national Church." "Well, to tell you the truth--and I know you'll excuse my frankness--I haven't been to church since I was a boy," John admitted. "But I know I used to dislike the litany very much, and of course I had my favorite hymns--we most of us have--and really I think that's as far as I got. However, I have to get up the subject of religion very shortly. My next play will deal with Joan of Arc, and, as you may imagine, religion plays an important part in such a theme--a very important part. In addition to the vision that Joan will have of St. Michael in the first act, one of my chief unsympathetic characters is a bishop. I hope I'm not hurting your feelings in telling you this, my dear fellow. Have another cigar, won't you? I think you've dipped the end of that one in the coffee-lees."