ter, but had lately come
home because he had been found to have a taste for late hours and
public-house parlours; and had made himself busy on the question of
the chapel. The maid servants at the vicarage looked down as from a
mighty great height on the young women of Bullhampton who attended
the chapel, and the vicarage gardener, since he had found out that
the chapel stood on glebe land, and ought therefore, to be placed
under his hands, had hardly been able to keep himself off the ground.
His proposed cure for the evil that had been done,--as an immediate
remedy before erection and demolition could be carried out, was to
form the vicarage manure pit close against the chapel door,--"and
then let anybody touch our property who dares!" He had, however, been
too cautious to carry out any such strategy as this, without direct
authority from the Commander-in-Chief. "Master thinks a deal too much
on 'em," he had said to the groom, almost in disgust at the Vicar's
pusillanimity.

When Fenwick reached his own gate there was a crowd of men loitering
around the chapel, and he got out from his gig and joined them. His
eye first fell upon Mr. Puddleham, who was standing directly in front
of the door, with his back to the building, wearing on his face
an expression of infinite displeasure. The Vicar was desirous of
assuring the minister that no steps need be taken, at any rate,
for the present, towards removing the chapel from its present
situation. But before he could speak to Mr. Puddleham he perceived
the builder from Salisbury, who appeared to be very busy,--Grimes,
the Bullhampton tradesman, so lately discomfited, but now
triumphant,--Bolt, the elder, close at Mr. Puddleham's elbow,--his
own churchwarden, with one or two other farmers,--and lastly, Lord
St. George himself, walking in company with Mr. Packer, the agent.
Many others from the village were there, so that there was quite
a public meeting on the bit of ground which had been appropriated
to Mr. Puddleham's preachings. Fenwick, as soon as he saw Lord St.
George, accosted him before he spoke to the others.

"My friend Mr. Puddleham," said he, "seems to have the benefit of a
distinguished congregation this morning."

"The last, I fear, he will ever have on this spot," said the lord, as
he shook hands with the Vicar.

"I am very sorry to hear you say so, my lord. Of course, I don't know
what you are doing, and I can't make Mr. Puddleham preach here, if he
be not w