following
immediately behind fell over the others. Mr. McFie blushed, and Mr.
Slocum, remembering his companion's youth, gripped him by the arm and
hurried him away with a muttered, "Dreadful, dreadful!"

No other word was spoken until they reached the refreshment-stall over
which Bindle presided, and then the vicar once more murmured,
"Dreadful!"

"Have you any tea?" enquired Mr. McFie, more from a desire to say
something than a feeling of thirst.

"No, sir," responded Bindle, "tea's over there, sir. Try the lemonade,
sir; it's A.I. It'll pull yer together, sir. Do try it, sir," Bindle
added eagerly. "You look 'ot and tired, sir. It'll do yer good."

The two pastors looked curiously at Bindle, but accepted each without
comment a glass of lemonade. They put it to their lips, tasted it,
looked at each other and then drank greedily.

"Another, sir?" enquired Bindle of the vicar when he had finished his
glass.

"Er ... no," murmured Mr. Slocum; but Bindle had already refilled his
glass and was doing a like service for Mr. McFie. When they left the
stall it was arm-in-arm, and Mr. McFie directed his steps to the spot
where, a few minutes previously, he had received so severe a shock; but
the sport was over and the crowd had dispersed.

CHAPTER IX

THE TEMPERANCE FETE

When Lady Knob-Kerrick drove round to the Fete ground she was surprised
to find the gate open and unattended, but was rendered speechless with
astonishment at the noise that assailed her ears. At first she thought
there had been an accident; but in the medley of hoarse shouts and
shrill screams she clearly distinguished the sound of laughter. She
turned to Miss Isabel Strint, her companion, whom she always persisted
in treating as she would not have dared to treat her maid. Miss Strint
elevated her eyebrows and assumed a look that was intended to be purely
tentative, capable of being developed into either horror or amusement.

"People say it takes beer to make the lower classes gay," remarked her
ladyship grimly.

"I'm sure they couldn't make more noise if they were intoxicated,"
responded Miss Strint, developing the tentative look into one of amused
tolerance.

"Strint, you're a fool!" remarked Lady Knob-Kerrick.

Miss Strint subsided.

Lady Knob-Kerrick looked round her disapprovingly. She was annoyed
that no one should be there to welcome her.

"Strint, see if you can find Mr. Slocum and Mr. McFie, and tell them I
am h