his trusteeship. And he is so generous! He has given a great deal to
the church, and now," she added, "I am sure he will give more."

Hodder was appalled. He felt helpless before the weight of this
onslaught.

"I dare say he will continue to assist, as he has in the past," he
managed to say.

"Of course it's your disinterestedness," she proclaimed, examining him
frankly. "He feels that you don't want anything. You always strike me
as so splendidly impartial, Mr. Hodder."

Fortunately, he was spared an answer. Mr. Plimpton, who was wont to
apply his gifts as a toastmaster to his own festivals, hailed him from
the other end of the table.

And Nelson Langmaid, who had fallen into the habit of dropping into
Hodder's rooms in the parish house on his way uptown for a chat about
books, had been struck by the rector's friendship with the banker.

"I don't understand how you managed it, Hodder, in such a short time,"
he declared. "Mr. Parr's a difficult man. In all these years, I've been
closer to him than any one else, and I don't know him today half as well
as you do."

"I didn't manage it," said Hodder, briefly.

"Well," replied the lawyer, quizzically, "you needn't eat me up.
I'm sure you didn't do it on purpose. If you had,--to use a Hibernian