I am not complaining just now of his fashion of procedure, which I may hazard was not of your suggesting." "It was not, Master.

I may say so much, having warned him that I should say it if questioned." "Yet you wrote out and signed the Petition, and, if I may hazard again, composed it ?" "I did." "I have," said Master Blanchminster, studying the back of his hands as he held his palms to the fire, "no right to force any man's conscience.

But it seemed to me, if I may say so, that while all were forcibly put, certain of your arguments ignored--or, let me rather say, passed over--points which must have occurred to a man of your learning.

Am I mistaken ?" "You understand, Master," said Brother Copas, slightly embarrassed, and slightly the more embarrassed because the Master, after asking the question, seemed inclined to relapse into his own thoughts, "the Petition was not mine only.

I had to compose it for all the signatories; and that, in any public business, involves striking a mean." "I understand even more," said the Master, rousing himself, and reaching for a copy of the Petition, which lay among his papers.
"I understand that I have no right to cross-question a man on his share in a document which six or eight others have signed.
Shall it be further understood"-- he looked up with a quick smile of goodness, whereat Brother Copas felt ashamed--"that I sent for you as a friend, and that you may speak frankly, if you will so honour me, without fear of my remembering a word to your inconvenience ?" "And since you so honour me, Master," said Brother Copas, "I am ready to answer all you ask." "Well, then, I have read with particular interest, what you have to say here about the practice of Confession.