The monosyllable was like a drop of ice. A faint spot of colour burned in his cheeks. He understood now that for some reason this woman was inimical to him. The knowledge seemed to have a bracing effect. His eyes flashed with a sudden fire which gave force to his face. "I expected," he continued with more assurance, "to have found Miss Thorpe-Hatton an older lady." She said nothing. Only her eyebrows were very slightly raised. She seemed to be asking him silently what possible concern the age of the lady of Thorpe-Hatton could be to him. He was to understand that his remark was almost an impertinence. "I wished," he said, "to hold a service in Thorpe on Sunday afternoon, and also one during the week, and I wrote to your agent asking for the loan of a barn, which is generally, I believe, used for any gathering of the villagers. Mr. Hurd found himself unable to grant my request. I have ventured to appeal to you." "Mr. Hurd," she said calmly, "decided, in my opinion, quite rightly. I do not see what possible need my villagers can have of further religious services than the Church affords them." "Madam," he answered, "I have not a word to say against your parish church, or against your excellent vicar. Yet I believe, and the body to which I am attached believes, that change is stimulating. We believe that the great truths of life cannot be presented to our fellow-creatures too often, or in too many different ways." "And what," she asked, with a faint curl of her beautiful lips, "do you consider the great truths of life?" "Madam," he answered, with slightly reddening cheeks, "they vary for every one of us, according to our capacity and our circumstances. What they may mean," he added, after a moment's hesitation, "to people of your social order, I do not know. It has not come within the orbit of my experience. It was your villagers to whom I was proposing to talk." There was a moment's silence. Gilbert Deyes and Lady Peggy exchanged swift glances of amused understanding. Wilhelmina bit her lip, but she betrayed no other sign of annoyance. "To what religious body do you belong?" she asked. "My friends," he answered, "and I, are attached to none of the recognized denominations. Our only object is to try to keep alight in our fellow-creatures the flame of spirituality. We want to help them--not to forget." "There is no name by which you call yourselves?" she asked. "None," he answered. "And your headquarters are where?" she asked. "In Gloucestershire," he answered--"so far as we can be said to have any headquarters at all." "You have no churches then?" she asked. "Any building," he answered, "where the people are to whom we desire to speak, is our church. We look upon ourselves as missioners only." "I am afraid," Wilhelmina said quietly, "that I am only wasting your time in asking these questions. Still, I should like to know what induced you to choose my village as an appropriate sphere for your labours."