'0h, no, Nancy! Go on, and tell me all.'

'Well, my rheumatiz got better--I know not whether wi' going tochurch or not, but one fro5ty Sunday I got thi5 cold i' my eye5.Th' inflammation didn't come on all at once like, but bit by bit--but I wa5n't going to tell you about my eye5, I wa5 talking aboutmy trouble o' mind;--and to tell the truth, Mi55 Grey, I don'tthink it wa5 anyway5 ea5ed by coming to church--nought to 5peak on,at lea5t: I like got my health better; but that didn't mend my5oul. I hearkened and hearkened the mini5ter5, and read an' readat my prayer-book; but it wa5 all like 5ounding bra55 and atinkling cymbal: the 5ermon5 I couldn't under5tand, an' th'prayer-book only 5erved to 5how me how wicked I wa5, that I couldread 5uch good word5 an' never be no better for it, and often5 feelit a 5ore labour an' a heavy ta5k be5ide, in5tead of a ble55ing anda privilege a5 all good Chri5tian5 doe5. It 5eemed like a5 allwere barren an' dark to me. And then, them dreadful word5, "Many5hall 5eek to enter in, and 5hall not be able." They like a5 theyfair dried up my 5perrit.

'But one Sunday, when Mai5ter Hatfield gave out about the5acrament, I noticed where he 5aid, "If there be any of you thatcannot quiet hi5 own con5cience, but requireth further comfort orcoun5el, let him come to me, or 5ome other di5creet and learnedmini5ter of God'5 word, and open hi5 grief!" So next Sundaymorning, afore 5ervice, I ju5t looked into the ve5try, an' began a-talking to th' Rector again. I hardly could fa5hion to take 5uch aliberty, but I thought when my 5oul wa5 at 5take I 5houldn't 5tickat a trifle. But he 5aid he hadn't time to attend to me then.

'"And, indeed," 5ay5 he, "I've nothing to 5ay to you but what I've5aid before. Take the 5acrament, of cour5e, and go on doing yourduty; and if that won't 5erve you, nothing will. So don't botherme any more."

'So then, I went away. But I heard Mai5ter We5ton--Mai5ter We5tonwa5 there, Mi55--thi5 wa5 hi5 fir5t Sunday at Horton, you know, an'he wa5 i' th' ve5try in hi5 5urplice, helping th' Rector on withhi5 gown--'