"To make no difference whatever in the length of your sermon," she answered. "But do you realise that one Sunday you may find yourself without a choir?" "Perfectly. But a choir is not absolutely necessary. We can do without one." "And you mean to make no difference in your sermons?" "In order that the men may run off to a concert! No, certainly not. I disapprove of those concerts and shall not make it easy for them to attend." "I wonder if you are quite wise," said Rachel. Luke laughed. "Would you like me to give way?" he asked. He knew what her answer would be. "No, no, no." she said, "I am so very thankful that you are not weak, and yet I can't bear that your choir should desert you." "Worse things might happen," he said, and he passed into the hall and was out of the house before she knew he was going. [Illustration] CHAPTER XII. RACHEL MAKES A MISTAKE. Rachel found Polly crying in the kitchen on Sunday after the Morning Service. "Why Polly, what is the matter?" she said. "It's them men in the choir," sobbed the girl. "There won't be none of them at service to-night. It's a reg'lar shame." "But how do you know?" asked Rachel. "I ran home after Church just now and I heard father telling mother that they had all made up their minds to keep away as the Vicar had taken no notice of their letters." "The Vicar never takes any notice of anonymous letters," said Rachel. "And it's a shame that they've written 'em," said Polly wiping her eyes, "and you and the Vicar so kind to everybody. I think it's right mean of 'em. Why the master, he is thinking of 'em all day and as for that, all night too. He'd give up his dinner and everything else for the men if he could help them. I'm right ashamed of them." Rachel was silent, but she did not mean to sit down and do nothing. She made up her mind that if the men did not come, girls and women should take their place, and Luke should still have a choir. She said nothing to Luke at dinner about what Polly had told her, but as soon as it was over and her husband had gone to open the Sunday School, she started off to see Mrs. Stone. "I want you to give me the names and addresses of any girls in the place who can sing in tune," she said, after telling her of what she had just heard. "I mean to get up a choir for to-night's service." "What a good idea," said Mrs. Stone. "But I don't see how you can go round to them all as they live in different parts of the town and it is beginning to rain." "I don't mind the rain, but I do mind that Luke should find himself without a choir to-night, and I mean to get one together." "Well then you must let me lend you my cloak," said Mrs. Stone, amused at the determination in Rachel's voice. She saw her in quite a new light this afternoon.