the brakes had depart

ine service, encounte

th Bridge Street, an

up the Va

d Miss Oliver, panting a little, for she h

and few secrets of the Government had been withheld from him: but he was now, as Mrs Polsue had to confess, "no more," and when you came to reflect on it (as you sometimes did after taking leave of her), the sort of knowledge she had been intimating could hardly have been telegraphed from another and better world. She had also a cousin in London, "in a large way of drapery business," who communicated to her-or was supposed to communicate-"what was wearing": an advantage which she used,

it for a long while,"

ious!

wn the hill at such a rate, at your time of life," said Mrs Polsue. "It reddens the face, too: which is a

n. It is cherry,"

ch,

f walking to Chapel, and so many of the men-folk passing in the opposite direction. It seemed so marked." She might have confesse

it might tell you that I couldn't get past th

when the old house comes down. But I called in builder Gilbert last Monday on pretence that the back launder wanted repairing; and when he'd examined it and found it all right, I asked him how pulling

s well as that of the Three Pilchards by the Quay-head), and so gave her a marked advantage over her friend. To

h a sniff. "Whenever I wish to withdraw some of my balance, to invest it, I send for

been warier: for the pair were tried combatants. But a tendency to lose h

and that accounts for i

nts fo

mple good creature: and one day, drinking tea at the Minister's, she raised quite a laugh by being so much concerned over your health. She said she'd seen the doctor calling at your hou

HA

nued in a musing voice, searching her memory-"the a

erry Oliver, until this mo

speak to Pamphlett about this! And Mary-Martha Polsue, of all women!' These were her very words. But of course one had to say something to explain to the other innocent woman and sto

Oliver, you'd know how vulgar it feels

r wealth, and I'll remember it against the time my ship comes home. . . . Somebody did explain-now I come to think of it-that maybe you'd be all the more dependent on Pamphlett's advice, seein' tha

ient than you or me, Charity Oliver; or else more blind, which isn't to be supposed. Take Polpier, now. The tittle-tattle that goes about, as you've just been admitting; and the drinking habits among

his wife good-bye," Miss Ol

looking. I've seen the boy from the Pilchards deliver a bottle there almost every Saturday. . . . So, the publics being closed this morning, he can't help himself

taken the trouble to hallow." She shook her head. "I may be mistaken-Heaven send that I am!-but I can't see on any Christian principles how a nation can look to prosper that declares war on a Sabbath. If

" Mrs Polsue put in. "I've often heard my great

w that we're allies with them. But I couldn't, when I heard the news, help fearing that our King and his Cabinet had been led away by them in

heir names differently. My great-uncle, in the room that he called his study, had two engravings, one on each side of the chimney-piece. One was John Wesley, when quite a child, being rescued from a burning house, with his father right in the foreground giving thanks to God in the old-fashioned knee-breeches that were then worn. The other represented the Duke of Wellington in

of that stamp in these days," sighe

rves are called up, that War is actually declared. It is sometimes done by way of precaution-though God forbid I should say a word in defence

eservists about in brakes when to-morrow's a Bank Holiday. And, as for patriotism, if I choose to fall downstairs taking up my own coals, s

sight I witnessed just now, by the bridge. There was that Nicholas Nanjivell called up to take his marching-orders, and-well, you know how the man has been limping these months past. The thing was so ridic'lous, the other men shouted with laughter; and prettily annoyed the Customs Offic

liver, "the man really i

erly reported and a doctor sent to see the man. If he's shamming-and unlikelier things have happened, now you mention it-the doctor finds him out. If the man's s

ly skilful nowadays with the knife," went on Mrs Polsue. "Very likely

made to underg

eping to worry him, instead of giving Mr Pamphlett trouble. For he has been giving Mr Pamphlett trouble. T

: and I shan't want to use spectacles neither." She cut in with this stroke as the pair joined the small throng of worshippers entering the Chapel

es from the Book of Common Prayer: "Rend your heart, and not your garments. . . . Enter not into judgement wit

been sung within those walls in the oldest folks' remembrance-nay, since the Chapel had been built; and many

d on Abadd

their own fl

moved and

for its en

sink benea

into the fl

the unive

his creature

eel, opened the Book of Common Prayer again, and instead of "putting up" an extempor

we humbly beseech thee, from the hands of our enemies; abate their pride, asswage their malice, and confound their devices; that we,

gathering choler. This Hambly had no unction. He could never improve an occasion: the more opportunity it gave the more helplessly he fell back upon old formulae composed b

: "The portion of Scripture I have chosen for this mornin

l. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual

to continue his reading; but, as if on a sud

t; they and those I read to you just now: 'If we say that we

on-so far as I know-harbours, or has harboured a single thought of evil disposition against the people who, from to-morrow, are

, but our Government, make this war upon a

ut of Ireland too- seems to be silently aware that a War has been fastened upon it, not to be shirked or avoided, and is arming; but still without hate. So far as, in this little c

thrust into his hand: and, if he honestly believes this, there must be some great confusion of

d to justify him. So does the German; whil

the actions of men. That were unthinkable. Of two claimant

to make sure that ours is truly the right God. Let us not trouble-for it is

ut it, the Churches of Europe (established or free) have been allowing at least one simulacrum of Christ to walk the earth, claiming holiness while devising evil. Howeve

ace it holds in my affection) I even dared in my fondness to reckon it with great and famous temples such as in our Westminster, in Paris, in Rheims-aye, and in Cologne-men have reared to the glory of God. I asked myself if these, too, looked impertinent as this day's sun took their towers, dawn

due to us-and to me, more than any-who in these few years past have believed ourselves to be working

than to misuse the Lord's name in a hasty oath; that to bear false witness against a neighbour is tenfold worse than to break the Sabbath. Yet we for ever in our Churches put these out of their right order; count ourselves righteous if we slander our neighbour, so it be on the way to worship; and in petty cruelties practice the lust

tually going out from England to brave the first brunt for us are men whom we have not taught to die like heroes, who have little interest in Church or Chapel or their differences, who view sins in an al

We say we have no sin, we shall deceive o

eebler or a more idiot

ver on their way h

his chance to imp

n't rise even when 'tis a question of all Europe at war. But did

"or not to notice. It seemed so funny his getting

a married man planned

A wife wouldn

he smoked?" as

home, for I took the trouble to smell his window-cu

wever early you choose to dang