"Look, Gran," she said in an eager whisper, "there are the Browns—a few rows in front of us, on the opposite side of the hall. Mrs. Brown's looking at us now. She's nodded to me, and I think she's trying to nod to you."
"Hush, child!" admonished Mrs. Berryman; nevertheless she looked at Mrs. Brown, and returned her smiling recognition with a rather awkward nod.
A few minutes later Melina discovered William Jones, seated well to the front; and after that she picked out several of her schoolfellows.
Before six o'clock the hall had become crowded. Most of the people present were of the working classes, many of whom appeared well-to-do, whilst others showed signs of great poverty; and some there were who, like Mrs. Berryman, never went to places of worship, and had been drawn there because they wanted to see the magic-lantern, and would not lose the opportunity of being entertained for nothing.
"I should think it must be nearly six o'clock," Melina said at length. "Oh!" she cried a minute later, "there's the little gentleman!"
Unobserved by her, Mr. Blackmore had entered the hall and mounted the platform, to the front of which he now stepped to address the assembly.
"My friends," he began, as the whispering which had been going on suddenly ceased and all eyes were fixed upon him, "to-night I intend to show you some pictures representing scenes from the life of Jesus; but before I do so, I want you to join me in singing that hymn, familiar to most of us I expect, which commences, 'There is a green hill far away'; and, whilst we sing, let us in our hearts thank Him who for our sakes died on Mount Calvary, and think of that first Good Friday evening nearly nineteen hundred years ago."
With one accord the whole assembly rose, and Mr. Blackmore led the singing.
"There is a green hill far away,
Without a city wall,