If you tell me where the ministers seat is, I need not trouble you to go in, said Mrs. Vincent. Mrs. Tuftons uncommon punctual, and its close upon her time, said Tozer; being a single man, weve not set apart a seat for the minister not till hes got some one as can sit in it; its the old ministers seat, as is the only one weve set aside; for weve been a-letting of the pews uncommon this past month, and it dont answer to waste nothing in a chapel as is as expensive to keep up as Salem. Its our pride to give our minister a good salary, as you know, maam, and weve all got to pay up according, so there aint no pew set apart for Mr. Vincent not till hes got a wife.
Then I am to sit in Mr. Tuftons pew? said the ministers mother, not without a little sharpness.
There aint no more of them never at Salem, but Mrs. Tufton, said Tozer. Mr. Tufton has had a shock, and the only one of a family theyve at home is a great invalid, and never was within the chapel door in my time. Mr. Tufton he do come now and again. He would have been here to-day, I make bold to say, but for the minister being called away. I hope youve eard from Mr. Vincent, maam, and as hell soon be back. It aint a good thing for a congregation when the pastor takes to going off sudden. Here she is a-coming. Mrs. Tufton, maam, this is Mrs. Vincent, the ministers mother; shes been waiting for you to go into your pew.
I hope I shall not be in your way, said Mrs. Vincent, with her dignified air. I have always been accustomed to see a seat for the minister, but as I am a stranger, I hope for once I shall not be in your way.
Dont say a word! cried Mrs. Tufton. I am as glad as possible to see Mr. Vincents mother. He is a precious young man. Its not a right principle, you know, but its hard not to envy people that are so happy in their families; nothing would make my Tom take to the ministry, though his papa and I had set our hearts upon it; and hes in Australia, poor dear fellow! and my poor girl is such an invalid. I hope your daughter is pretty well? Come this way. I hope I shall see a great deal of you. Mr. Tufton takes such an interest in his young brother; all that he wants is a little good advice that is what the minister always tells me. All that Mr. Vincent wants, he
says, is a little good advice.
The latter part of this was communicated in a whisper, as the two ladies seated themselves in the ministers pew. After a momentary pause of private devotion, Mrs. Tufton again took up the strain where she had left it off.
I assure you, we take the greatest interest in him at the cottage. He doesnt come to see us so often as Mr. Tufton would wish, but I daresay he has other things to do. The minister often says to me that he is a precious young man, is Mr. Vincent, and that a little good advice and attention to those that know better is all he wants to make him a shining light; and I am sure he will want no good advice Mr. Tufton can give him. So you may keep your mind easy you may keep your mind quite easy. In any difficulty that could occur, I am sure the minister would act as if he were his own son.
You are very kind; but I hope no difficulty will occur, said Mrs. Vincent, with a little quiver in her lip.
I hope not, indeed; but there are so many people to please in a flock, said the late ministers wife, with a sigh. We always got on very well, for Mr. Tufton is not one to take a deal of notice of any unpleasantness; but you know as well as I do that it takes a deal of attention to keep all matters straight. If youll excuse me, its a great pity Mr. Vincent has gone away to-day. Nothing would have made my husband leave his post just as he was intimated to begin a course of lectures. Its very excusable in Mr. Vincent, because he hasnt that experience thats necessary. I always say hes very excusable, being such a young man; and we have no doubt hell get on very well if he does but take advice.
My son was very unwilling to go; but it was quite necessary. His sister, said Mrs. Vincent, clasping her hands tight under her shawl to balance the pang in her heart, was with some friends whom we heard something unpleasant about and he went to bring her home. I expect them to-morrow.
The poor mother shut her lips close when she had said the words, to keep in the cry or sob that seemed bursting from them. Yes, God help her, she expected them; perhaps to-morrow perhaps that same dreadful night; but even in the height of her anguish there occurred to Mrs. Vincent a forlorn prayer that they might not come back that Sunday. Rather another agonising night than that all the Chapel folks should be aware that their pastor was rushing wildly along distant railways on the day of rest. The fact that he was doing so added a pang to her own trouble. Total disarrangement, chaos, all the old habitudes of life gone to wreck, and only desperation and misery left, was the sensation produced by that interruption of all religious use and wont. It came upon her with an acute sting, to think that her poor young minister was travelling that Sunday; just as in Arthurs own experience at that same moment, the utter incoherence, chaos, and wretchedness into which his life had suddenly fallen, breathed upon him in the sound of the church-bells.