“You pretend to try to help the poor! And I bring you cases, and you confess that you can't help them--because there are too many. And you couldn't tell how it came to be. But here I show you--I prove to you what makes the people poor! They are being robbed--they are being trampled upon! Their own government has been stolen from them, and is being used to cheat them! And you won't lift your voice to help!” “There is nothing that I can do, Samuel!” cried the clergyman wildly. “But there is! There is! You won't try! You might at least withdraw your help from these criminals!” “My HELP!” “Yes, sir! You help them! You permit them to stay in the church, and that gives them your sanction! You shelter them, and save them from attack! If I were to go out to-morrow and try to open the eyes of the people, no one would listen to me, because these men are so respectable--because they are members of the church, and friends and relatives of yours!” “Samuel!” exclaimed the clergyman. “And worse than that, sir! You take their money--you let the church become dependent upon them! You told me that yourself, sir! And you give their money to the poor people--the very people they have robbed! And that blinds the people--they are grateful, and they don't understand! And so you help to keep them in their chains! Don't you see that, Dr. Vince?--why, it's just the same as if you were hired for that purpose!” Dr. Vince had risen in agitation. “Really, Samuel!” he cried. “You have exceeded the limit of endurance. This cannot go on! I will not hear another word of it!” Samuel sat, heart broken. “Then you are going to desert me!” he exclaimed. “You are going to make me do it alone.” The other stared. “What are you going to do?” he demanded. “First,” said Samuel, “I am going to see these men. I am going to give them a chance to see the error of their ways.” “Boy!” cried the doctor. “You are mad!” “Perhaps I am,” was the reply. “But how can I help that?” “At least,” exclaimed the other, “if you take any such step, you will make it clear to them that _I_ have not sent you, and that you have no sanction from me.” For a long time Samuel made no reply to this. Somehow it seemed the most unworthy thing that his friend had said yet. It meant that Dr. Vince was a coward! “No, sir,” he said at last, “you may rest easy about that. I will take the whole burden on my own shoulders. There's no reason why I should trouble you any more, I think.” And with that he rose, and went out from the house. CHAPTER XXIII After Samuel had left Dr. Vince, a great wave of desolation swept over him. He was alone again, and all the world was against him!