Mr. Barron's expression changed. He bent toward his hostess, striking one hand sharply and deliberately with the glove which he held in the other. "You were at church last Sunday?" "I was." Mrs. Flaxman's eyes as she turned them upon him had recovered their animation. "You were present then," said Mr. Barron with passionate energy, "at a scandalous performance! I feel that I ought to apologize to you and Mr. Flaxman in the name of our village and parish." The speaker's aspect glowed with what was clearly a genuine fire. The slight pomposity of look and manner had disappeared. Mrs. Flaxman hesitated. Then she said gravely: "It was certainly very astonishing. I never saw anything like it. But my husband and I liked Mr. Meynell. We thought he was absolutely sincere." "He may be. But so long as he remains clergyman of this parish it is impossible for him to be honest!" Mrs. Flaxman slowly poured out another cup of tea for Mr. Manvers, who was standing before her in a drooping attitude, like some long crumpled fly, apparently deaf and blind to what was going on, his hair falling forward over his eyes. At last she said evasively: "There are a good many people in the parish who seem to agree with him. Except yourself--and a gaunt woman in black who was pointed out to me--everybody in the church appeared to us to be enjoying what the Rector was doing--to be entering into it heart and soul." Mr. Barron flushed. "We do not deny that he has got a hold upon the people. That makes it all the worse. When I came here three years ago he had not yet done any of these things--publicly; these perfectly monstrous things. Up to last Sunday, indeed, he kept within certain bounds as to the services; though frequent complaints of his teaching had been made to the Bishop, and proceedings even had been begun--it might have been difficult to touch him. But last Sunday!--" He stopped with a little sad gesture of the hand as though the recollection were too painful to pursue. "I saw, however, within six months of my coming here--he and I were great friends at first--what his teaching was, and whither it was tending. He has taught the people systematic infidelity for years. Now we have the results!" "He also seems to have looked after their bodies," said Mrs. Flaxman, in a skirmishing tone that simply meant she was not to be brought to close quarters. "I am told that it was he brought the water-supply here; and that he has forced the owners to rebuild some of the worst cottages." Mr. Barron looked attentively at his hostess. It was as though he were for the first time really occupied with her--endeavouring to place her, and himself with regard to her. His face stiffened. "That's all very well--excellent, of course. Only, let me remind you, he was not asked to take vows about the water-supply! But he did promise and vow at his ordination to hold the Faith--to 'banish and drive away strange doctrines'!"