to the pulpit."

"The pulpit? What do you mean?"

"He was a Methodist preacher, but he left the pulpit and went into the
schoolroom. The Conference was glad he did so, for he was little in the
way of preaching but he's a great scholar, and I should say he hesn't
his equal as a teacher in all England. He has the boys and girls of
Hatton at a word. Sir, you'll allow that I am no coward, but I wouldn't
touch the hem of Lucy Lugur's skirt, if it wasn't in respect and honor,
for a goodish bit o' brass. No, I wouldn't!"

"What would you fear?"

"_Why-a!_ I don't think he'd stop at anything decent. It is only ten
days since he halted Lord Thirsk in t' High Street of Hatton, and then
told him flat if he sent any more notes and flowers to Miss Lugur,
'Miss,' mind you, he would thrash him to within an inch of his life."

"What did Lord Thirsk say?"

"Why, the little man was frightened at first--and no wonder, for Lugur
is big as Saul and as strong as Samson--but he kept his head and told
Lugur he would 'take no orders from him.' Furthermore, he said he would
show his 'admiration of Miss Lugur's beauty, whenever he felt disposed
to do so.' It was the noon hour and a crowd was in the street, and they
gathered round--for our lads smell a fight--and they cheered the little
lord for his plucky words, and he rode away while they were cheering and
left Lugur standing so black and surly that no one cared to pass an
opinion he could hear. Indeed, my eldest daughter kept her little lad
from school that afternoon. She said someone was bound to suffer for
Lugur's setdown and it wasn't going to be her John Henry."

"He seems to be an ill-tempered man--this Lugur, and we don't want such
men in Hatton."

"Well, sir, we breed our own tempers in Hatton, and we can frame to put
up with them--_but strangers_!" and Jonathan appeared to have no words
to express his suspicion of strangers.

"If Lugur is quarrelsome he must leave Hatton. I will not give him house
room."

"You hev a good deal of influence, sir, but you can't move Lugur. No,
you can't. Lugur hes been appointed by the Methodist Church, and there
is the Conference behind the church, sir. I hev no doubt but what we
shall hev to put up with the sulky beggar whether we want it or like it
or not."

"It would be a queer thing, Jonathan Greenwood, if John Hatton did not
have influence enough to put a troubler of Hatton town out of it. The
Methodist Church is too sensible to oppose