"Nonsense," replied Mr. Buffle, rather angrily. "I never refused to spend money on any really useful charity." Several members softly responded, "That's true." "Yes," said Captain Maile; "you occasionally spend a penny out of a dollar, so to speak, and you deserve credit for it, for very few other men of means go so far; you're ahead of your day and generation. When I carry around a subscription paper for anything, your name always has a handsome sum after it. But do you really mean that you are going through this Sermon on the Mount--if we live long enough to get through it, which is very unlikely at the present rate of progress--and practically agree to what it says?" Mr. Buffle was cornered; but blessed be corners! There are no other positions in life from which a man can obtain so good a view of himself. Mr. Buffle studied the back of the seat in front of him for a few seconds; looked rather blank, then very modest, then very manly, raised his head, and said: "Yes, I do." "Good!" was the only word Captain Maile uttered, while Mr. Jodderel shook his head dismally, and exclaimed: "Here we are, away from the subject again, Mr. Leader!" "We can hurry back to it, if the gentleman will answer my question," observed Mr. Radley. "It's one o'clock," remarked Builder Stott. The members arose, and most of them departed as soon as possible, while President Lottson turned to Stott, and said: "You did that just in time." "Well," said Stott modestly, "something had to be done. This old fight between faith and works has played the mischief wherever it's come up among men, and I'm not going to sit still and see it break up an interesting class like this. I've no other chance to study the Bible except here, and I'm not going to have it ruined by a lot of theorists getting into a row. I'm afraid it's too late, though. Buffle got some new notion into his head when Maile cornered him there; and he never lets go of any thought that strikes him as good. The first thing you'll hear of will be another subscription list, with his name at the head, and he'll go into it with all his might, like he did about the building of this church; and everybody will be worried by him, and he'll drag it in here, and act as if the Bible wasn't anything but a code of every-day morals." "And forget all about the gospel-plan of salvation," said young Mr. Waggett. "And the kingdom of heaven," suggested Mr. Jodderel. "And the atonement, the central truth of the Scriptures," remarked Mr. Prymm; "the vicarious efficacy of the atonement." "And you'll shut your ears and eyes for fear you might be converted and healed," said Captain Maile. And the lingerers went straightway every man to his own house. CHAPTER VII. FREE SPEECH BECOMES ANNOYING.