“No prayer again,” criticised Plucritus. “But he does his share in almsgiving.”
Presently quite a party of ladies and gentlemen entered. They looked as if they had just come from dinner; they were very elaborately dressed.
The ladies carried fans and wore big picture hats and much jewellery. Some of the gentlemen had very small prayer-books, that looked like toys, and were perhaps meant to testify to their clear sight for small print.
They made quite a bustle as they came in, and many of the people who had by this time filled up the hinder pews appeared quite awed.
Most of the ladies curtsied before going in the pews, but the gentlemen did not; they looked bored instead, so that one really wondered what it was that brought them.
Finally an elderly lady with silvery hair came up the aisle to where the poorly-clad girl was sitting. As soon as she caught sight of her she raised a pair of gold pince-nez and gazed at her to see if she were really there. When she found out that she was there she stood very straight and a look of extreme hauteur spread over her patrician features. Without saying anything she went back and brought the verger, and he explained somewhat brusquely that those were not the free seats. So the girl got up and came out, and the lady went in and knelt down and prayed. The verger conducted the girl to where the two young men were sitting. It was by now the only available seat, as this service seemed exceedingly popular. She sat down, and one of the young men coughed.
The organ had just struck up in a jovial key, but not too loud, as the congregation didn’t like it, and the choir began to appear.
There was a great number of them, boys and men, and five clergymen followed. As they came the congregation rose, and when they knelt the congregation knelt, and then they all sat down and waited for the organ to finish, which it did in due course.
Then they all rose, and the clergyman said, “Enter not into judgment with thy servant, O Lord! for in thy sight shall no man living be justified.”
Plucritus, who by this time had moved into the central aisle and stood gazing about, now wrote down something in his note-book. I looked to see what it was. It seemed to be just one word—“Evasion.” I think there was nothing more.