"But tell me, honestly, how you came to be in the shrubbery of Siddermorton Vicarage--in the state in which you were. And in the Vicar's company. Cannot you abandon this ridiculous story of yours?..." The Angel shrugged his wings. "What is the matter with this man?" he said to the Vicar. "My dear Mendham," said the Vicar, "a few words from me...." "Surely my question is straightforward enough!" "But you won't tell me the answer you want, and it's no good my telling you any other." "_Pshaw!_" said the Curate again. And then turning suddenly on the Vicar, "Where does he come from?" The Vicar was in a dreadful state of doubt by this time. "He _says_ he is an Angel!" said the Vicar. "Why don't you listen to him?" "No angel would alarm four ladies...." "Is _that_ what it is all about?" said the Angel. "Enough cause too, I should think!" said the Curate. "But I really did not know," said the Angel. "This is altogether too much!" "I am sincerely sorry I alarmed these ladies." "You ought to be. But I see I shall get nothing out of you two." Mendham went towards the door. "I am convinced there is something discreditable at the bottom of this business. Or why not tell a simple straightforward story? I will confess you puzzle me. Why, in this enlightened age, you should tell this fantastic, this far-fetched story of an Angel, altogether beats me. What good _can_ it do?..." "But stop and look at his wings!" said the Vicar. "I can assure you he has wings!" Mendham had his fingers on the door-handle. "I have seen quite enough," he said. "It may be this is simply a foolish attempt at a hoax, Hilyer." "But Mendham!" said the Vicar. The Curate halted in the doorway and looked at the Vicar over his shoulder. The accumulating judgment of months found vent. "I cannot understand, Hilyer, why you are in the Church. For the life of me I cannot. The air is full of Social Movements, of Economic change, the Woman Movement, Rational Dress, The Reunion of Christendom, Socialism, Individualism--all the great and moving Questions of the Hour! Surely, we who follow the Great Reformer.... And here you are stuffing birds, and startling ladies with your callous disregard...." "But Mendham," began the Vicar. The Curate would not hear him. "You shame the Apostles with your levity.... But this is only a preliminary enquiry," he said, with a threatening note in his sonorous voice, and so vanished abruptly (with a violent slam) from the room. XVII. "Are _all_ men so odd as this?" said the Angel. "I'm in such a difficult position," said the Vicar. "You see," he said, and stopped, searching his chin for an idea. "I'm beginning to see," said the Angel. "They won't believe it." "I see that." "They will think I tell lies." "And?" "That will be extremely painful to me." "Painful!... Pain," said the Angel. "I hope not."