Tang, tong, teng, tung, _ting_! went the bells.

"Why not run?" suggested an inner voice. "Put down your cup. There! Now!
Your hat's in the hall, with your gloves beside it. Never mind about
your prayer-book. Dear me! Don't waste time looking for your own stick.
Take any. Quick! out through the garden-gate! No one can see you. The
servants have all gone to church except the cook, and the kitchen looks
out on the yew hedge."

"Over the first stile," said Charles to himself. "I am out of sight of
the house now. Let us be thankful for small mercies. I shall do it yet.
Oh, what a fool I am! I'm worse than Raca, as Molly said. I shall be
rushing precipitately down a steep place into the sea next. Confound
this gate! Why can't people leave them open? At any rate, it will remain
open now. I am not going to have my devotions curtailed by a gate. I
fancied it would be hot, but never anything half as hot as this. I hope
I sha'n't meet Brown taking a morning stroll. I value Brown; but I
should have to dismiss him if he saw me now. I could never meet his eye
again. What on earth shall I say to Ralph and Evelyn when I get back?
What a merciful Providence it is that Aunt Mary is at this moment
intoning a response in the highest church in Scarborough!"

_Ting, ting, ting!_

"Mr. Alwynn is getting on his surplice, is he? Well, and if he is, I can
make a final rush through the corn, can't I? There's not a creature in
sight. The bell's down! What of that? There is the voluntary. Easy over
the last fields. There are houses in sight, and there may be wicked
Sabbath-breakers looking out of windows. Brown's foal has grown since
July. Here we are! I am not the only Christian hurrying among the tombs.
I shall get in with 'the wicked man' after all."

Some people do not look round in church; others do. Mrs. Alwynn always
did, partly because she wished to see what was going on behind her, and
partly because, in turning back again, she could take a stealthy survey
of Mrs. Thursby's bonnet, in which she always felt a burning interest,
which she would not for worlds have allowed that lady to suspect.

If the turning round had been all, it would have mattered little; but
Mrs. Alwynn suffered so intensely from keeping silence that she was
obliged to relieve herself at intervals by short whispered comments to
Ruth.

On this particular morning it seemed as if the comments would never end.

"I am so glad we asked Mr. Dare into our pew, Ruth. Th