“Go on, please; let me hear it all.”
“Well, if I must tell it; these gentlemen and Mr. Hughes and Colonel Boston said shocking things to each other, and they were going to fight——”
“To fight! in the vestry meeting!”
“Yes, actually to fight. And Mr. Westgate and Mr. Farrar stepped between them and prevented it, and they had to adjourn the meeting before they were through, in order to avoid more trouble.”
“How dreadful!”
“Isn’t it dreadful! But you mustn’t take my word for it, Mrs. Farrar. I’m only telling you what I heard, and just as I heard it. It’s so unfortunate that all the best men in the vestry should be so bitterly opposed to Mr. Farrar.”
“Do you think they are, Miss Chichester? Do you really think they are unfriendly to Mr. Farrar?”
There was an appealing tone in the woman’s voice that should have gone straight to Miss Chichester’s heart, and led her into making some effort to repair the havoc she had already wrought; but Miss Chichester was enjoying too deeply the sensation she was creating to take much note of the pain she was giving to her listener.
“I’m afraid they are, Mrs. Farrar,” she replied. “I’m afraid they will make it very uncomfortable for Mr. Farrar if he insists on trying to carry out his projects. I do hope he’ll abandon them, if it’s necessary to do it in order to avoid trouble in the church.”