e. I little thought, Mr. Tryan, when I put my
affairs into his hands twenty 'ear ago this Michaelmas, as he was to turn
out a pessecutor o' religion. I niver lighted on a cliverer, promisiner
young man nor he was then. They talked of his bein' fond of a extry glass
now an' then, but niver nothin' like what he's come to since. An' it's
head-piece you must look for in a lawyer, Mr. Tryan, it's head-piece. His
wife, too, was al'ys an uncommon favourite o' mine--poor thing! I hear
sad stories about her now. But she's druv to it, she's druv to it, Mr.
Tryan. A tender-hearted woman to the poor, she is, as iver lived; an' as
pretty-spoken a woman as you need wish to talk to. Yes! I'd al'ys a
likin' for Dempster an' his wife, spite o' iverything. But as soon as
iver I heared o' that dilegate business, I says, says I, that man shall
hev no more to do wi' my affairs. It may put me t' inconvenience, but
I'll encourage no man as pessecutes religion.'

'He is evidently the brain and hand of the persecution,' said Mr. Tryan.
'There may be a strong feeling against me in a large number of the
inhabitants--it must be so from the great ignorance of spiritual things
in this place. But I fancy there would have been no formal opposition to
the lecture, if Dempster had not planned it. I am not myself the least
alarmed at anything he can do; he will find I am not to be cowed or
driven away by insult or personal danger. God has sent me to this place,
and, by His blessing, I'll not shrink from anything I may have to
encounter in doing His work among the people. But I feel it right to call
on all those who know the value of the Gospel, to stand by me publicly. I
think--and Mr. Landor agrees with me--that it will be well for my friends
to proceed with me in a body to the church on Sunday evening. Dempster,
you know, has pretended that almost all the respectable inhabitants are
opposed to the lecture. Now, I wish that falsehood to be visibly
contradicted. What do you think of the plan? I have today been to see
several of my friends, who will make a point of being there to accompany
me, and will communicate with others on the subject.'

'I'll mek one, Mr. Tryan, I'll mek one. You shall not be wantin' in any
support as I can give. Before you come to it, sir, Milby was a dead an'
dark place; you are the fust man i' the Church to my knowledge as has
brought the word o' God home to the people; an' I'll stan' by you, sir,
I'll stan' by you. I'm a Dissen