farmers,
making the discovery close after the cheers had subsided. "It wants some
minutes yet to midnight, Captain."

Captain Monk snatched out his watch--worn in those days in what was
called the fob-pocket--its chain and bunch of seals at the end hanging
down.

"By Jupiter!" he exclaimed. "Hang that butler of mine! He knew the hall
clock was too fast, and I told him to put it back. If his memory serves
him no better than this, he may ship himself off to a fresh
berth.--Hark! Listen!"

It was the church clock striking twelve. The sound reached the
dining-room very clearly, the wind setting that way. "Another bumper,"
cried the Captain, and his guests drank it.

"This day twelvemonth I was at a feast in Derbyshire; the bells of a
neighbouring church rang-in the year with pleasant melody; chimes they
were," remarked a guest, who was a partial stranger. "Your church has no
bells, I suppose?"

"It has one; an old ting-tang that calls us to service on a Sunday,"
said Mr. Winter.

"I like to hear those midnight chimes, for my part. I like to hear them
chime-in the new year," went on the stranger.

"Chimes!" cried out Captain Monk, who was getting very considerably
elated, "why should we not have chimes? Mr. West, why don't we have
chimes?"

"Our church does not possess any, sir--as this gentleman has just
remarked," was Mr. West's answer.

"Egad, but that parson of ours is going to set us all ablaze with his
wit!" jerked out the Captain ironically. "I asked, sir, why we should
not get a set of chimes; I did not say we had got them. Is there any
just cause or impediment why we should not, Mr. Vicar?"

"Only the expense," replied the Vicar, in a conciliatory tone.

"Oh, bother expense! That's what you are always wanting to groan over.
Mr. Churchwarden Threpp, we will call a vestry meeting and make a rate."

"The parish could not bear it, Captain Monk," remonstrated the
clergyman. "You know what dissatisfaction was caused by the last extra
rate put on, and how low an ebb things are at just now."

"When I will a thing, I do it," retorted the Captain, with a meaning
word or two. "We'll send out the rate and we'll get the chimes."

"It will, I fear, lie in my duty to protest against it," spoke the
uneasy parson.

"It may lie in your duty to be a wet-blanket, but you won't protest me
out of my will. Gentlemen, we will all meet here again this time
twelvemonth, when the chimes shall ring-in the new year for you.-