. But the thought
darted through her mind that Dick was the kind of man who, somehow or
other, would succeed where he meant to succeed, and would marry the
woman he intended to marry. There was no doubt that she was that woman,
and as he sat tranquilly beside her she wished, with a nervous tremor,
that his choice had fallen on some one else.

The meeting opened with nasal and fervent prayer on the part of a
neighboring Archdeacon. No one could kneel down except the dignitaries
on the platform, but every one pretended to do so. Mr. Pratt, who was in
the chair, then introduced the principal speaker. Mr. Pratt's face, very
narrow at the forehead, became slightly wider at the eyes, widest when
it reached round the corners of the mouth, and finally split into two
long, parti-colored whiskers. He assumed on these occasions a manner of
pontifical solemnity towards his "humble brethren," admirably suited to
one who, after wrestling for many years with a patent oil, is conscious
that he has blossomed out into a "county family."

The Warpington parishioners listened to him unmoved.

The deputation from Liverpool followed, a thin, ascetic-looking man of
many bones and little linen, who spoke with the concentrated fury of a
fanatic against alcohol in all its varieties. Dick, who had so far taken
more interest in Rachel's gloves, which she had dropped, and with which
he was kindly burdening himself, than in the proceedings, drew himself
up and fixed his steel eyes on the speaker.

A restive movement in the audience followed the speech, which was loudly
clapped by Mr. Gresley and the Pratts.

Mr. Gresley then mounted the platform.

Mr. Gresley had an enormous advantage as a platform speaker, and as a
preacher in the twin pulpits of church and home, owing to the conviction
that he had penetrated to the core of any subject under discussion, and
could pronounce judgment upon it in a conclusive manner. He was wont to
approach every subject by the preliminary statement that he had
"threshed it out." This threshing-out had been so thorough that there
was hardly a subject even of the knottiest description which he was
unable to dismiss with a few pregnant words. "Evolution! Ha! ha!
Descended from an ape. I don't believe that for one." While women's
rights received their death-blow from a jocose allusion to the woman
following the plough while the man sat at home and rocked the cradle.

With the same noble simplicity he grappled with