turn of the minister safe and sound from his
holiday, to the great delight of the congregation, though they had not
been very fond of their old pastor before. Now they could not
sufficiently exult over the happy re-instalment. "The other one never
crossed our doors from the day he came till now as he's going away,"
said one indignant member; "nor took no more notice of us chapel folks
nor if we were dirt beneath his feet." "That time as the Meeting was
held, when he spoke up again' the sinecure, was the only time as my mind
was satisfied," cried another. "And a deal came of it after, making
friends with the very man he had abused." "All his friends was Church
folks," said a third; "he was a wolf in sheep's clothing, that's what I
calls him; and a poor moralist as a preacher, with never a rousing word
in them things as he called his sermons. We're well rid of the likes of
him, though he may be clever. I don't give much for that kind of
cleverness; and what's the good of you, minister or not minister, if you
can't keep consistent and stick to your own side." The chorus was so
strong that the echo of it moved Tozer, who was a kind of arch-deacon
and leading member too, in his way, where he sat twiddling his thumbs in
his little room. "I'm one as is qualified to give what you may call a
casting vote," said Tozer, "being the oldest deacon in Salem, and one as
has seen generations coming and going. And as for Church and Chapel,
I've served 'em both, and seen the colour of their money, and there's
them as has their obligations to me, though we needn't name no names.
But this I will say, as I'm cured of clever men and them as is thought
superior. They ain't to be calculated upon. If any more o' them young
intellectuals turns up at Carlingford, I'll tell him right out, 'You
ain't the man for my money.' I'll say to him as bold as brass, 'I've
been young, and now I'm old, and it's my conviction as clever young men
ain't the sort for Salem. We want them as is steady-going, and them as
is consistent; good strong opinions, and none o' your charity, that's
what we wants here.'" Now Tozer had loved clever young men in his day
more well than wisely, as everybody knew, and this deliverance carried
all the more weight in consequence, and was echoed loudly by one general
hum of content and applause.

Northcote took this very quietly, but he retired, after he had married
Ursula, from the office of pastor, for which he was not fitted, and fro