“Well, Annie,” said Putney, with a satirical smile.
“Oh, Ralph—Ellen—what does it mean?”
“It means that Brother Gerrish thought Mr. Peck was hitting at him in that talk about the large commerce, and it means business,” said Putney. “Brother Gerrish has made a beginning, and I guess it's the beginning of the end, unless we're all ready to take hold against him. What are you going to do?”
“Do? Anything! Everything! It was abominable! It was atrocious!” she shuddered out with disgust. “How could he imagine that Mr. Peck would do such a thing?”
“Well, he's imagined it. But he doesn't mean to stay out of church; he means to put Brother Peck out.”
“We mustn't let him. That would be outrageous.”
“That's the way Ellen and I feel about it,” said Putney; “but we don't know how much of a party there is with us.”
“But everybody—everybody must feel the same way about Mr. Gerrish's behaviour? I don't see how you can be so quiet about it—you and Ellen!”
Annie looked from one to another indignantly, and Putney laughed.
“We're not feeling quietly about it,” said Mrs. Putney.