He nodded his acknowledgment, and changed the topic.
"I was surprised to hear Father Forbes say that he did not preach," he remarked.
"Why should he ?" asked the doctor, indifferently.

"I suppose he hasn't more than fifteen parishioners in a thousand who would understand him if he did, and of these probably twelve would join in a complaint to his Bishop about the heterodox tone of his sermon.

There is no point in his going to all that pains, merely to incur that risk.

Nobody wants him to preach, and he has reached an age where personal vanity no longer tempts him to do so.

What IS wanted of him is that he should be the paternal, ceremonial, authoritative head and centre of his flock, adviser, monitor, overseer, elder brother, friend, patron, seigneur--whatever you like--everything except a bore.