“I know. The Vale Leston girls do it as their needful work, not with their hearts and enthusiasm. I expect an enthusiasm cannot be expected to last above a generation and perhaps a half.” “Very likely. A more indifferent thing; you will laugh, but my enthusiasm was for chivalry, Christian chivalry, half symbolic. History was delightful to me for the search for true knights. I had lists of them, drawings if possible, but I never could indoctrinate anybody with my affection. Either history is only a lesson, or they know a great deal too much, and will prove to you that the Cid was a ruffian, and the Black Prince not much better.” “And are you allowed the ‘Idylls of the King’?” “Under protest, now that the Mouse-trap has adopted Browning for weekly reading and discussion. Tennyson is almost put on the same shelf with Scott, whom I love better than ever. Is it progress?” “Well, I suppose it is, in a way.” “But is it the right way?” “That’s what I want to see.” “Now listen. When our young men, my brothers--especially my very dear brother Claude and his contemporaries, Rotherwood is the only one left--were at Oxford, they got raised into a higher atmosphere, and came home with beautiful plans and hopes for the Church, and drew us up with them; but now the University seems just an ordeal for faith to go through.” “I should think there was less of outward temptation, but more of subtle trial. And then the whole system has altered since the times you are speaking of, when the old rules prevailed, and the great giants of Church renewal were there!” said Geraldine. “You belong to the generation whom they trained, and who are now passing away. My father was one who grew up then.” “We live on their spirit still.” “I hope so. I never knew much about Cambridge till Clement went there, but it had the same influence on him. Indeed, all our home had that one thought ever since I can remember. Clement and Lance grew up in it.” “But you will forgive me. These younger men either go very, very much further than we older ones dreamt of, or they have flaws in their faith, and sometimes--which is the strangest difficulty--the vehement observance and ritual with flaws beneath in their faith perhaps, or their loyalty--Socialist fancies.” “There is impatience,” said Geraldine. “The Church progress has not conquered all the guilt and misery in the world.” “Who said it would?” “None of us; but these younger ones fancy it is the Church’s fault, instead of that of her members’ failures, and so they try to walk in the light of the sparks that they have kindled.” “Altruism as they call it--love of the neighbour without love of God.” “It may lead that way.” “Does it?” “Perhaps we are the impatient ones now,” said Geraldine, “in disliking the young ones’ experiments, and wanting to bind them to our own views.” “Then you look on with toleration but with distrust.”