"Dear friends," he began, looking impressively around the hall, "I feel
that I am no stranger to most of you here. Some of you, no doubt, have
been at St. Margaret's, and have seen or met me there. But if not, I
feel that we are now well acquainted after your worthy chairman's
introductory remarks. And let me say ere I go further, how gratified I
am to have Mr. Stubbles here to-night, and to find him so interested in
the affairs of the Church in this parish. It is so encouraging to meet
a man of Mr. Stubbles' ability and influence ready and willing to
abandon for a time his heavy business cares, and devote himself so
heartily to the welfare of the community in which he is living. If all
will follow his excellent example, I feel quite confident that the
Church work in this parish will be greatly blest.

"Before I give you my brief message to-night, permit me to say that I
wish this meeting to be very informal. Do not mind stopping me to ask
any question which may occur to you, for in that way we shall be able
to understand one another better."

Here Dr. Rannage paused, and slowly lifted a glass of water to his
lips, after which he produced a large silk handkerchief and
deliberately wiped his mouth. When the handkerchief had been carefully
stowed away in the tail of his long coat, he once more looked over the
audience.

"We bear to-night a message from your Bishop," he continued. "'In the
goodness of his heart,' as your chairman so neatly put it, he thought
it good to send us here that we might meet with you, and discuss
parochial affairs. He has already chosen a man well-fitted, we all
believe, for the work here."

"When will he come?" some one asked.

"That I cannot definitely say. He has been working hard for the last
two years, and is now taking his vacation. In a few weeks, I trust, he
will be with you."

"Is he married?" came the question from the right.

"No. He has been so devoted to his work that he has not given much
thought to matrimony, so far as I know. But if all the maidens in this
parish are as captivating as the two I met this afternoon at The
Castle" (here he turned and bowed to the chairman) "he will find it
difficult to choose who is the fairest, if he should decide to take to
himself a wife."

Douglas almost emitted an audible groan at the thought of the "two
captivating maidens at The Castle." A mental picture rose before him
of their thin faces, turned-up noses, and prominent