Indeed the news of Miss Ley’s arrival had been by Edward industriously spread abroad, and promptly Mrs. Ramsay put on her blue velvet calling-dress, and in the doctor’s brougham drove with him to Court Leys. The Ramsays found Miss Glover and the Vicar of Leanham already in possession of the field. Mr. Glover looked thinner and older than when Miss Ley had last seen him; he was more weary, meek and brow-beaten; Miss Glover never altered. “The parish?” said the parson, in answer to Miss Ley’s polite inquiry, “I’m afraid it’s in a bad way. The dissenters have got a new chapel, you know--and they say the Salvation Army is going to set up ‘barracks’ as they call them. It’s a great pity the government doesn’t step in: after all we are established by law and the law ought to protect us from encroachment.” “You don’t believe in liberty of conscience?” asked Miss Ley. “My dear Miss Ley,” said the Vicar, in his tired voice, “everything has its limits. I should have thought there was in the Established Church enough liberty of conscience for any one.” “Things are becoming dreadful in Leanham,” said Miss Glover. “Practically all the tradesmen go to chapel now, and it makes it so difficult for us.” “Yes,” replied the Vicar, with a weary sigh; “and as if we hadn’t enough to put up with, I hear that Walker has ceased coming to church.” “Oh dear, oh dear!” said Miss Glover. “Walker, the baker?” asked Edward. “Yes; and now the only baker in Leanham who goes to church is Andrews.” “Well, we can’t possibly deal with him, Charles,” said Miss Glover, “his bread is too bad.” “My dear, we must,” groaned her brother. “It would be against all my principles to deal with a tradesman who goes to chapel. You must tell Walker to send his book in, unless he will give an assurance that he’ll come to church regularly.” “But Andrews’s bread always gives you indigestion, Charles,” cried Miss Glover. “I must put up with it. If none of our martyrdoms were more serious than that, we should have no cause to complain.” “Well, it’s quite easy to get your bread from Tercanbury,” said Mrs. Ramsay, who was severely practical. Mr. Glover and his sister threw up their hands in dismay. “Then Andrews would go to chapel too. The only thing that keeps them at church, I’m sorry to say, is the Vicarage custom, or the hope of getting it.” Presently Miss Ley found herself alone with the parson’s sister. “You must be very glad to see Bertha again, Miss Ley.” “Now she’s going to crow,” thought the good lady. “Of course I am.” “And it must be such a relief to you to see how well it’s all turned out.” Miss Ley looked sharply at Miss Glover, but saw no trace of irony. “Oh, I think it’s beautiful to see a married couple so thoroughly happy. It really makes me feel a better woman when I come here and see how those two worship one another.” “Of course the poor thing’s a perfect idiot,” thought Miss Ley. “Yes, it’s very satisfactory,” she said, drily.