The preacher started up as if the coin falling on his brown fingers had burnt them.
"Here, ma'am. Please take it back. I thought I'd made it clear, I'll ha' none o' et," he cried; and there was a ring in his voice, which sounded as if the "Old Adam" were not quite dead yet.
"I shall certainly not take it. I do not approve of unpaid services," said Mrs. Russelthorpe. And Barnabas with a quick movement drew back his arm, and pitched the sovereign over her head, far away into the park.
It span through the air like a flash of light, and Mrs. Russelthorpe's lips compressed as she saw it.
"That was a most insolent exhibition of temper for one who preaches to others," she said coldly; but the answer surprised her.
"Ay, an' that's true; so it was," he said, reddening.
Mrs. Russelthorpe was not generous enough to take no advantage of her adversary's slip.
"Your rudeness to me can only injure yourself," she went on, "and is certainly not worth remark; but I am glad to have this opportunity of saying that I believe you to be doing great harm by your preaching. Religious excitement is always bad, and I have had to remonstrate seriously with my niece, who is very young and foolish, about the ideas your unwise words have put into her head. She sees her mistake now," added Mrs. Russelthorpe, rather prematurely. "But had I not been at hand to guide her, you might have done an infinity of evil in attempting to dictate to her about the duties of a position which you cannot in the least be expected to understand."
An anxious look came over the preacher's face; his own pride was forgotten on the instant.
"Tell me," he said eagerly, "she is surely not turning back?"