"I hope he hasn't got a long bill against you for clothes, Fullerton," said Warton, the saddler, with a chuckle. "You'll have it in before it comes due." "If I owed my tailor a bill I dare say I could pay it, Mr Warton," said Fullerton, haughtily; "and I should be glad to know, gentlemen, whether you mean to discuss the question of the appointment of a new master, because if you don't I shall throw the whole matter up." "Oh, no, no, no," came in a murmur; "don't do that, Fullerton," and an appealing look was directed at Tomlinson, who drew a long breath, refreshed himself, and went on. "You see I don't think it would be wise to go and upset Mr Mallow if we could help it," he said; "he's a very good customer of mine, and very neighbourly. I don't think he's a bad sort of man." "Not a bad sort of man!" cried Fullerton, indignantly; "why, it's a burning shame for him to have charge of this parish at all. What's a parson for?" "Well," said Tomlinson, mildly, "I suppose to have the care of the parish." "Yes, and to rule and manage it," said Warton. "Yes," cried Fullerton, "of course; and here's a man who can't manage his own household, which is the wastefullest in the place." "Might keep your family on what they waste, eh, Fullerton?" said Warton, the saddler, with a chuckle, for he was a great friend of Smithson; and it was a fact often commented upon by neighbours, that Fullerton's domestic economy was of the most parsimonious character. "I'm not the man to eat the parson's leavings," said Fullerton, angrily, "nor yet the man to go cringing and touching my hat to him in hopes of getting a harness-mending order." Mr Warton refilled his pipe. "I say," continued Fullerton, "that a man who can't rule his own sons can't properly rule a parish." "Nay, nay, nay," cried Tomlinson; "don't be too hard upon him, man. He's a very good sort of fellow is Mallow, and I should be very sorry to go against him." "But you will go against him," said Fullerton, triumphantly; and he looked very hard in the ironmonger's face. Mr Tomlinson's pipe needed seeing to just then, and he let his eyes rest upon the glowing fire therein, as he recalled certain little speculative money transactions that had taken place between him and Fullerton, and felt how awkward it might be if he offended his fellow-townsman. It would be very awkward to have to side against the Rector, but of two evils Tomlinson felt bound to choose the least. "I'm afraid that in this instance I must go against Mr Mallow," said Tomlinson, deliberately; and Fullerton gave a triumphant glance round the room. "Hah!" he said to himself, "there's a wonderful power in money, and one never knows what it will do." PART ONE, CHAPTER SEVENTEEN. THE GOVERNORS' MEETING.