me speak to him, Minna, and he would not stop."

Hester experienced that sudden emotion which may result either in tears
or laughter at the cruel anguish brought upon her brother by the
momentary experience of what he so ruthlessly inflicted.

"He talked me down," said Mr. Gresley, his voice shaking. "He opposed me
in my own school-room. Of course, I blame myself for asking him to
speak. I ought to have inquired into his principles more thoroughly, but
he took me in entirely by saying one thing in this room and the exact
opposite on the platform."

"I thought his views were the same in both places," said Hester, "and,
at the time, I admired you for asking him to speak, considering he is a
vine-grower."

"A what?" almost shrieked Mr. Gresley.

"A vine-grower. Surely you know he has one of the largest vineyards in
South Australia?"

For a moment Mr. Gresley was bereft of speech.

"And you knew this and kept silence," he said at last, while Mrs.
Gresley looked reproachfully, but without surprise, at her
sister-in-law.

"Certainly. What was there to speak about? I thought you knew."

"I never heard it till this instant. That quite accounts for his views.
He wants to push his own wines. Of course, drunkenness is working for
his interests. I understand it all now. He has undone the work of years
by that speech for the sake of booking a few orders. It is contemptible.
I trust, Hester, he is not a particular friend of yours, for I shall
feel it my duty to speak very strongly to him if he comes again."

But Dick did not appear again. He was off and away before the terrors of
the Church could be brought to bear on him.

But his memory remained green at Warpington.

"They do say," said Abel to Hester a few days later, planting his spade
on the ground, and slowly scraping off upon it the clay from his nailed
boots, "as that Muster Vernon gave 'em a dusting in the school-yard as
they won't forget in a hurry. He said he could not speak out before the
women folk, but he was noways nesh to pick his words onst he was
outside. Barnes said as his tongue 'ud 'ave raised blisters on a hedge
stake. But he had a way with him for all that. There was a deal of talk
about him at market last Wednesday, and Jones and Peg is just silly to
go back to Australy with 'im. I ain't sure," continued Abel, closing the
conversation by a vigorous thrust of his spade into the earth, "as one
of the things that fetched 'em all most wasn't his sayi