r; and on suitable occasions
attacked from his village pulpit the scarlet weed of heresy, expounding
to an intelligent congregation of yokels and small boys the manifold
difficulties of the Athanasian Creed. He was at his best in pouring
vials of contempt upon the false creed of atheists, Romanists,
Dissenters, and men of science. The theory of Evolution excited his
bitterest scorn, and he would set up, like a row of nine-pins, the
hypotheses of the greatest philosophers of the century, triumphantly to
knock them down by the force of his own fearless intellect. His
congregation were inattentive, and convinced beyond the need of
argument, so they remained pious members of the Church of England.

But this particular sermon, after mature consideration, the Vicar had
made up his mind to devote to a matter of more pressing interest. He
repeated the text. Mrs. Jackson, who knew what was coming, caught the
curate's eye, and looked significantly at James. The homily, in fact,
was directed against him; his were the pride, the arrogancy, and the
evil way. He was blissfully unconscious of these faults, and for a
minute or two the application missed him; but the Vicar of Little
Primpton, intent upon what he honestly thought his duty, meant that
there should be no mistake. He crossed his t's and dotted his i's, with
the scrupulous accuracy of the scandal-monger telling a malicious story
about some person whom charitably he does not name, yet wishes everyone
to identify.

Colonel Parsons started when suddenly the drift of the sermon dawned
upon him, and then bowed his head with shame. His wife looked straight
in front of her, two flaming spots upon her pale cheeks. Mary, in the
next pew, dared not move, hardly dared breathe; her heart sank with
dismay, and she feared she would faint.

"How he must be suffering!" she muttered.

They all felt for James intensely; the form of Mr. Jackson, hooded and
surpliced, had acquired a new authority, and his solemn invective was
sulphurous with the fires of Hell. They wondered how James could bear
it.

"He hasn't deserved this," thought Mrs. Parsons.

But the Colonel bent his head still lower, accepting for his son the
reproof, taking part of it himself. The humiliation seemed merited, and
the only thing to do was to bear it meekly. James alone appeared
unconcerned; the rapid glances at him saw no change in his calm,
indifferent face. His eyes were closed, and one might have thought him
as