  From Loss and Gain The first of the urlLink two urlLink novels by Venerable John Henry Newman, C.O.
In this scene, the main character (Charles Reding) receives some news from a close friend (and fellow Oxford undergraduate), which shows a bit of the type of reaction someone who converted to Catholicism in 19th England could expect..... "Charles had to pass a day or two at the house of a relative who lived a little way out of London. While he was there a letter arrived for him, forwarded from home; it was from Willis, dated from London, and announced that he had come to a very important decision, and should not return to Oxford.
Charles was fairly in the world again, plunged into the whirl of opinions: how sad a contrast to his tranquil home! There was no mistaking what the letter meant; and he set out at once with the chance of finding the writer at the house from which he dated it. It was a lodging at the west-end of the town; and he reached it about noon. He found Willis in company with a person apparently two or three years older. Willis started on seeing him. 'Who would have thought! what brings you here? 'he said; 'I thought you were in the country. ' Then to his companion, 'This is the friend I was speaking to you about, Morley. A happy meeting; sit down, dear Reding; I have much to tell you. ' Charles sat down, all suspense, looking at Willis with such keen anxiety that the latter was forced to cut the matter short.
'Reding, I am a Catholic. ' Charles threw himself back in his chair, and turned pale. 'My dear Reding, what is the matter with you? why don't you speak to me? ' Charles was still silent; at last, stooping forward, with his elbows on his knees, and his head on his hands, he said, in a low voice, 'Oh, Willis, what have you done?
' 'Done? ' said Willis; 'what you should do, and half Oxford besides. Oh, Reding, I'm so happy! ' 'Alas, alas! ' said Charles; 'but what is the good of my staying?-all good attend you, Willis; good-bye! ' 'No, my good Reding, you don't leave me so soon, having found me so unexpectedly; and you have had a long walk, I dare say; sit down, there's a good fellow; we shall have luncheon soon, and you must not go without taking your part in it.
' He took Charles's hat from him as he spoke; and Charles, in a mixture of feelings, let him have his way. 'Oh, Willis, so you have separated yourself from us for ever! ' he said; 'you have taken your course, we keep ours: our paths are different. ' 'Not so,' said Willis; 'you must follow me, and we shall be one still. ' Charles was half offended.
'Really I must go,' he said, and he rose; 'you must not talk in that manner. ' 'Pray, forgive me,' answered Willis; 'I won't do so again; but I could not help it; I am not in a common state, I'm so happy! ' A thought struck Reding. 'Tell me, Willis,' he said, 'your exact position; in what sense are you a Catholic? What is to prevent your returning with me to Oxford? ' His companion interposed: 'I am taking a liberty, perhaps,' he said; 'but Mr. Willis has been regularly received into the Catholic Church. ' 'I have not introduced you,' said Willis. 'Reding, let me introduce Mr. Morley; Morley, Mr. Reding.
Yes, Reding, I owe it to him that I am a Catholic. I have been on a tour with him abroad. We met with a good priest in France, who consented to receive my abjuration. ' 'Well, I think he might profitably have examined into your state of mind a little before he did so," said Reding; 'you are not the person to become a Catholic, Willis. ' 'What do you mean? ' 'Because,' answered Reding, 'you are more of a Dissenter than a Catholic.
I beg your pardon,' he added, seeing Willis look up sharply, 'let me be frank with you, pray do. You were attached to the Church of Rome, not as a child to a mother, but in a wayward, roving way, as a matter of fancy or liking, or (excuse me) as a greedy boy to something nice; and you pursued your object by disobeying the authorities set over you. ' It was as much as Willis could bear; he said he thought he recollected a text about 'obeying God rather than men'. 'I see you have disobeyed men,' retorted Charles; 'I trust you have been obeying God. ' " 
