ng in that grieved, yet bold way, that we were all sinners,
and that sinners were sitting even then at that very board."

"Was that all?" exclaimed the minister with sudden relief, and an
uncontrollable smile. "Surely you are accustomed to that. Surely you
do not consider yourselves in Hawthorne to be so perfect, so
infallible, as to be beyond criticism and impatient of censure! If so,
all I can say is I am very glad I used those terms, and I should say, I
should think, that no matter what Church you belong to, you, Enderby,
would see the absurdity of rating me for offering a prayer couched in
the language most natural to me, and of which I am not ashamed. Do you
deny that we are all sinners?"

"I do not, sir, and that is just what my wife and others complains of.
You did not content yourself with saying we were _all_ sinners; you
said 'if any sinners lurked at the board,' as if pointing the finger,
and it is for an explanation of that I have come to you to-night, sir.
We all felt that the presence at the feast of the unfortunate little
girl you of course observed, must 'ave 'ad something to do with it, and
I think you ought to know, coming among us as you did, and may do
again, just how we felt about it. I'll tell you all I know, and then
I'd be obliged if you, sir, would tell me what you know."

Ringfield looked helplessly around but there was no hope of diverting
Enderby's attention; he must go through with it and only trust that he
might be believed, and once again that slight sense of the ludicrous
came upon him. Tragedy was in the air; yet, as often happens in real
life, it was being pushed to comedy point, and he grudged even the
shadow of a jest at this important crisis in his dealings with Miss
Clairville, who was now sitting at supper with the new edition of
Crabbe.

"You had better take a chair, Enderby," he said, setting the example.

"Thank you, sir, and I 'ope I am not detaining you. I wish to say,
sir, that now for eight years the constant presence of the child and
its nurse in our little village has been a source of much trouble and
talk. We are a united and respectable, most respectable community,
sir."

The sternness with which this remark was given led Ringfield to say
soothingly, "I am sure you are--it is, I mean. I am quite sure you
are."

"Not only respectable, and has always been so, but superior."

"Yes, yes, I understand."

"And therefore it goes against our grain to 'ave 'ar