The audience, taking courage, began to clap and cheer. “To the platform!” shouted some one. So David quite deliberately stepped up to the platform, mounted it, and began to address the meeting.
In vain did the righteous rage. The chairman ordered David down. He held his ground. Nay, he began to address the people, simply, incisively, thrillingly. The chairman was forgotten. David had become the speaker of the hour.
Then a curious thing happened. Warming to the task, David began to take off his mufflers. He unwound them and cast them aside. His hoarse voice became clear and ringing. The sick throat was forgotten.
He captured the meeting. The platform was silenced. It was he who made the speech of the evening; and at the end the enthusiastic Free Churchmen in the audience took up the young man and carried him from the hall on their shoulders.
No, certainly, marriage had not pinioned the wings of this young stormy petrel.
[21] Sartor Resartus, Book II., chapter ix.
[22] In countries like Japan all fishing is free; and public fishing, of course, can be “preserved” as easily as private.
[23] The lower Nantlle lake.
[24] He was born on January 17th, 1863.