“I’m afraid,” replied the rector seriously, “that Mrs. Bradley is not much given to prayer as yet. But I have strong hope that we shall eventually make a good church-woman of her. With that in view I have asked Miss Tracy to take an early opportunity to call on her.”
“Quite proper,” said Barry. “I heartily approve of it.”
“Oh, Ruth!” exclaimed Miss Chichester, “let me go with you when you go to call.”
“No, Jane,” replied Ruth firmly, “I think I can do more with her if I see her alone.”
It might have ended there if Mrs. Tracy had not seen fit to declare:
“Well, I don’t see any use, anyway, in chasing after people of that class to get them into the Church. There’s plenty of material to be worked on in our own grade of society. There are enough irreligious persons in our own social set to crowd the church if they could all be induced to attend the services. Mr. Farrar, why don’t you and Ruth get after some of the upper-class derelicts? You might start with Effingham G. Tracy.”
Mr. Tracy, sitting at the head of the table, smiled faintly but made no response. He did not seem to be in the least concerned about his wife’s opinion of him.
“Very good, Mrs. Tracy!” exclaimed Barry. “Very good, indeed! I think, myself, that Mr. Tracy would be a proper subject for evangelization.”
Mr. Tracy’s smile broadened, but still he did not respond. Like another celebrated character, he could be silent in seven languages. Then Mr. Farrar replied to Mrs. Tracy’s question.