k any gentleman in the face then without shrink or shame."

Mail recovered from a deep meditation and downward glance into the earth
in time to give a cordial approval to this line of action, and the
meeting adjourned.

CHAPTER IV: THE INTERVIEW WITH THE VICAR

At six o'clock the next day, the whole body of men in the choir emerged
from the tranter's door, and advanced with a firm step down the lane.
This dignity of march gradually became obliterated as they went on, and
by the time they reached the hill behind the vicarage a faint resemblance
to a flock of sheep might have been discerned in the venerable party. A
word from the tranter, however, set them right again; and as they
descended the hill, the regular tramp, tramp, tramp of the united feet
was clearly audible from the vicarage garden. At the opening of the gate
there was another short interval of irregular shuffling, caused by a
rather peculiar habit the gate had, when swung open quickly, of striking
against the bank and slamming back into the opener's face.

"Now keep step again, will ye?" said the tranter. "It looks better, and
more becomes the high class of arrant which has brought us here." Thus
they advanced to the door.

At Reuben's ring the more modest of the group turned aside, adjusted
their hats, and looked critically at any shrub that happened to lie in
the line of vision; endeavouring thus to give a person who chanced to
look out of the windows the impression that their request, whatever it
was going to be, was rather a casual thought occurring whilst they were
inspecting the vicar's shrubbery and grass-plot than a predetermined
thing. The tranter, who, coming frequently to the vicarage with luggage,
coals, firewood, etc., had none of the awe for its precincts that filled
the breasts of most of the others, fixed his eyes firmly on the knocker
during this interval of waiting. The knocker having no characteristic
worthy of notice, he relinquished it for a knot in one of the
door-panels, and studied the winding lines of the grain.

"O, sir, please, here's Tranter Dewy, and old William Dewy, and young
Richard Dewy, O, and all the quire too, sir, except the boys, a-come to
see you!" said Mr. Maybold's maid-servant to Mr. Maybold, the pupils of
her eyes dilating like circles in a pond.

"All the choir?" said the astonished vicar (who may be shortly described
as a good-looking young man with courageous eyes, timid mouth, and
neutral nose