Barwood locked his teeth together, and grinned with rage. He jumped from his seat, knocked it over in getting his hat from under it, and rushed out of the house. Mr. Drake smiled, and looking calmly round on the rest of the deacons, held his peace. It was a very awkward moment for them. At length one of them, a small tradesman, ventured to speak. He dared make no allusion to the catastrophe that had occurred. It would take much reflection to get hold of the true weight and bearing of what they had just heard and seen, for Barwood was a mighty man among them. "What we were thinking, sir," he said, "--and you will please to remember, Mr. Drake, that I was always on your side, and it's better to come to the point; there's a strong party of us in the church, sir, that would like to have you back, and we was thinking if you would condescend to help us, now as you're so well able to, sir, toward a new chapel, now as you have the means, as well as the will, to do God service, sir, what with the chapel-building society, and every man-jack of us setting our shoulder to the wheel, and we should all do our very best, we should get a nice, new, I won't say showy, but attractive--that's the word, attractive place--not gaudy, you know, I never would give in to that, but ornamental too--and in a word, attractive--that's it--a place to which the people would be drawn by the look of it outside, and kep' by the look of it inside--a place as would make the people of Glaston say, 'Come, and let us go up to the house of the Lord,'--if, with your help, sir, we had such a place, then perhaps you would condescend to take the reins again, sir, and we should then pay Mr. Rudd as your assistant, leaving the whole management in your hands--to preach when you pleased, and leave it alone when you didn't.--There, sir! I think that's much the whole thing in a nut-shell." "And now will you tell me what result you would look for under such an arrangement?" "We should look for the blessing of a little success; it's a many years since we was favored with any." "And by success you mean----?" "A large attendance of regular hearers in the morning--not a seat to let!--and the people of Glaston crowding to hear the word in the evening, and going away because they can't get a foot inside the place! That's the success _I_ should like to see."