two (notably
Farmer Best of Tresunger, an immense man who, apparently mistaking
the occasion for a wedding, had indued a pair of white cotton gloves,
which he declined to remove, ignoring his wife's nudges). Four or
five timid "women-workers," with our two ladies and the host and
hostess, completed the gathering.

Mrs Steele opened the business amid an oppressive silence, against
which all the Vicar's easy chat had contended in vain.

"I hope," she began nervously, "that at such a time none of you will
object to my using the word I want to use, and calling you 'friends'?
. . . My friends, then--It was at my husband's suggestion that I
invited you to meet this afternoon--because, you know, _somebody_
must make a beginning."

"Hear, hear," put in Dr Mant encouragingly. Mrs Steele's voice grew
a little firmer. "We thought, too, that the Vicarage might be the
most convenient place on the whole. It is a sharp walk up the hill
for those of you who live in Polpier itself: but our stables being
empty, the farmers, who come from farther and just now at greater
sacrifice, escape a jolting drive down into the village and back."

"Hear, hear," repeated Dr Mant. He was thinking of the tyres of his
car. But this time he overdid it, and fetched up Mrs Polsue as by a
galvanic shock.

"If interruptions are to be the order of the day," said Mrs Polsue,
"I'd like to enter my protest at once. I don't hold, for my part,
with calling public meetings--for I suppose this _is_ a public
meeting?" she asked, breaking off, with a challenging eye on the
Vicar.

"By no means," he answered with quick good-humour. "It's a meeting
by invitation, though--as my wife was about to explain--the
invitations were meant to include _friends_ of all creeds and
parties."

"It's for a public purpose, anyhow?"

"Certainly."

"Then I may be saying what doesn't meet with your approval, or Mrs
Steele's, or the company's: but that's just my point. I don't hold
with meetings for public business being called in a private house.
Because if things are done that you don't approve of, either you sit
mum-chance out o' politeness, or else you speak your mind and offend
your host and hostess."

Mr Hambly was about to interpose, but the Vicar checked him with a
quick movement of his hand.

"Mrs Polsue's is a real point; and, if she will allow me to say so,
she has put it very well. Indeed, I was going to propose, later on,
that we hold our future meeti