Mr Harford thought that it might be best not to disappoint the old
people suddenly, so he stood at the vestry door counting heads, and
numbering among them two whom he had already been somewhat startled to
see present themselves, namely, Dame Spurrell, whom he had heard abusing
her neighbour with a torrent of foul words, and who pretended to be a
witch, and Tom Jarrold, whom Hewlett had described to him as the
wickedest old chap in the parish.

He took counsel with the churchwardens, Farmers Goodenough and Rawson,
who both agreed that they were a bad lot, who didn't deserve nothing,
but it helped to keep down the rates. Then he talked to Captain
Carbonel, who, being a reverent man, was dismayed at what he heard.

"Just paying the old souls for coming in no fit state," he said.

"Then you advise me to change the system?"

"You have no other choice," returned the soldier. "Read out your
standing orders, and preach, if you will, explaining the matter."

This Mr Harford did, but not by any means all the persons concerned
were present, and he afterwards went round among them explaining that,
though they were to be helped in any distress, and the alms would be
kept for the purpose, it was profane to give them out as a sort of
payment to those who partook. Old Redford, Widow Mole's father, was the
only person who seemed to enter into the scruples.

"Yes, sir," he said, "it went agin me to sim to be paid for coming to
the Lord's Table, and I wouldn't ne'er ha' done it, but a shilling is a
shilling to my poor daughter, and when I could get to church, it was
hard on her to miss the chance."

The next Celebration was only attended by the Carbonels, old Mrs
Rawson, and Redford; nor at the next ensuing Whitsuntide were the
numbers much increased. In spite of all that Mr Harford could preach,
and say in private, the main body of the parishioners would not listen
to the invitation. And the disaffected grumbled among themselves, that
he kept the money for himself, and no one would never see the colour of
it. There really were only thirteen communicants in the parish when
these had seceded. And Mr Harford looked to the Confirmation to bring
more intelligent and devout worshippers, though the time for preparation
was short.

He found that most people had been confirmed at Minsterham Cathedral,
and there were reminiscences of great holidays, few and far between, and
no difficulty was made as to the young people, up to twen