of many things that this ignorant man spoke;
but what did strike him very greatly was his intense earnestness,
his fiery and impassioned gestures, the absolute confidence he
possessed in the righteousness of his own cause, and his utter
freedom from any kind of doubt or fear--the eloquence of one of
nature's orators that carries away the heart far more than the
studied oratory which is the result of practice and artifice.

Whilst the man spoke, Edred felt himself carried away in spite of
his inner consciousness that there was a flaw in the argument of
the preacher. He was intensely interested by the whole scene. He
could not help watching the faces of the group of which he made
one, watching the play of emotion upon them as they followed with
breathless attention their instructor's words, and drank in his
fiery eloquence as though it were life-giving water.

And was it wonderful this should be so? the youth asked of himself.
Were not these poor people fairly starving for want of spiritual
food? and what food did they receive from the hands of their parish
priest? Edred knew the old man well. He was a kind-hearted
sexagenarian, and in those days that was accounted an immense age.
He mumbled through the mass on Sundays; he baptized the children
and buried the dead when need arose; and if sent for by some person
in extremity, would go and administer the last rites of the Church.
But beyond that his duties did not go, and no living soul in the
place remembered hearing him speak a word of instruction or
admonition on his own account. He had a passion for gardening, and
spent all his spare time with his flowers; and his people went
their way as he did his, and their lives never touched on any
point.

Such being the case, was it wonderful that the people should come
with eagerness to hear of the Saviour from whomsoever would tell
them of Him? Edred well remembered Brother Emmanuel's words about
the four God-given channels of grace--the living ministry by which
He had meant His Church to be perfected. But how when the streams
grew choked? how when the ministry had become a dead letter? Was
the Church, were the people, to die of inanition? Might not God
pardon them for listening to any messenger who came with His name
upon his lips? Surely He who lived in the heavens would pardon them
even if it were sin, seeing that it was the instinctive love of His
own wandering sheep which brought them crowding round any shepherd
who wo