especially the Prices, including John himself, as he was propped up in
bed and gazed through the casement, marked the numerous carts bringing
building materials of all kinds to the village. All doubts on the
subject, however, were soon brought to an end by a call from the colonel
at John's house in the early part of November. After a few kind
inquiries about his health and family, Colonel Dawson informed him that
he was going to build at once a school and master's house in Bridgepath,
with a reading-room attached to it, and to place there a married man of
thorough Christian principles; one who would not only look after the
ordinary teaching of the children, but would also, under the
superintendence of the vicar, conduct a simple religious service on
Sundays for the instruction of the villagers.

Bridgepath had from time immemorial been under the special supervision
of the proprietors of Riverton Park, the whole hamlet being a portion of
the property. The parish to which it belonged was extensive, and the
parish church some five miles distant, Bridgepath being just on the
borders of the next parish, in which parish the Park itself was
situated. So, in former days, the chaplain at the house used to look
after the people of the hamlet in a good-natured sort of way, by taking
food and clothing to the sick and destitute, and saying a kind word, and
giving a little wholesome advice, where he thought they were needed.
But being himself unhappily possessed of but little light, he was unable
to impart much to others, and the spiritual destitution of poor
Bridgepath never seemed to occur to his mind at all. But now, for the
last twenty years, neither squire nor chaplain had resided at Riverton;
so that a very occasional visit from the vicar--who had more on his
hands nearer home than he could well accomplish, and who, with others,
was living in constant expectation of some one coming to the property
and bringing about a change--was all that had been done directly for the
scriptural instruction and eternal welfare of the benighted inhabitants
of Bridgepath.

Now, however, a mighty change was coming, and the dwellers in the hamlet
were supposed to be highly delighted, as a matter of course, with the
prospect. And, certainly, the hearts of old John Price and his wife and
daughter did rejoice; but not so the hearts of most of the inhabitants,
for they were thoroughly conscious that much of the goings on in their
village would