rather pleased with the substitute than otherwise,
though he had scarcely as yet acquired ballast of character sufficient to
steady the consciences of the hundred-and-forty Methodists of pure blood
who, at this time, lived in Nether-Moynton, and to give in addition
supplementary support to the mixed race which went to church in the
morning and chapel in the evening, or when there was a tea--as many as a
hundred-and-ten people more, all told, and including the parish-clerk in
the winter-time, when it was too dark for the vicar to observe who passed
up the street at seven o'clock--which, to be just to him, he was never
anxious to do.

It was owing to this overlapping of creeds that the celebrated population-
puzzle arose among the denser gentry of the district around
Nether-Moynton: how could it be that a parish containing fifteen score of
strong full-grown Episcopalians, and nearly thirteen score of
well-matured Dissenters, numbered barely two-and-twenty score adults in
all?

The young man being personally interesting, those with whom he came in
contact were content to waive for a while the graver question of his
sufficiency. It is said that at this time of his life his eyes were
affectionate, though without a ray of levity; that his hair was curly,
and his figure tall; that he was, in short, a very lovable youth, who won
upon his female hearers as soon as they saw and heard him, and caused
them to say, 'Why didn't we know of this before he came, that we might
have gied him a warmer welcome!'

The fact was that, knowing him to be only provisionally selected, and
expecting nothing remarkable in his person or doctrine, they and the rest
of his flock in Nether-Moynton had felt almost as indifferent about his
advent as if they had been the soundest church-going parishioners in the
country, and he their true and appointed parson. Thus when Stockdale set
foot in the place nobody had secured a lodging for him, and though his
journey had given him a bad cold in the head, he was forced to attend to
that business himself. On inquiry he learnt that the only possible
accommodation in the village would be found at the house of one Mrs.
Lizzy Newberry, at the upper end of the street.

It was a youth who gave this information, and Stockdale asked him who
Mrs. Newberry might be.

The boy said that she was a widow-woman, who had got no husband, because
he was dead. Mr. Newberry, he added, had been a well-to-do man enough,
as t