vening, at 7 o'clock. [Public meetings in Polpier are
invariably fixed for Saturday, that being the one week-night when the
boats keep home.] Schoolmaster Rounsell and his daughter (back from
her holiday) had decorated the room, declining outside assistance.
It was a rule of life with Schoolmaster Rounsell and his daughter to
be very stiff against all outside assistance. They took the line
that as State-employed teachers of the young,--that is to say, Civil
Servants,--they deserved more social respect than Polpier habitually
showed them. In this contention, to be sure, they were wholly right.
Their mistake lay in supposing that in this dear land of ours
prejudice can be removed by official decree, or otherwise than by the
slow possession of patience, tact, and address. Mr Rounsell,
however, was less stiff than usual, since the Vicar had asked him to
second a vote of thanks at the end of the meeting. He and his
daughter spent a great part of the afternoon in arranging the
platform and decorating the back wall with a Union Jack, two or three
strings of cardpaper-flags that had not seen the light since
Coronation Day, and a wall-map of Europe with a legend below it in
white calico letters upon red Turkey twill,--"DO GOOD AND FEAR NOT."
It had served to decorate many occasions and was as appropriate to
this as to any of them.

By 6.45 the room was crowded with an audience numbering two hundred
and more. They sat very quietly in the odour of the evil-smelling
oil lamps, expectant of oratory. For Squire Tresawna (who pleaded an
attack of gout as an excuse for not attending) had not only assured
the committee of his personal sympathy, but at his own cost had
engaged a speaker recommended by a political association (now turned
non-political) in London. There was promise of oratory, and every
Cornish audience loves oratory.

In the Squire's absence Farmer Best took the chair. Punctually at
seven o'clock he mounted the platform, followed by the orator from
London (a florid gentleman in a frock-coat and dingy white
waistcoat), the Vicar, Mr Hambly, Mr Pamphlett, Dr Mant, and Mr
Rounsell. As they entered, Miss Rounsell, seated at the piano at the
far end of the platform, struck the opening chords of "God Save the
King." It seemed to take the audience by surprise: but they shuffled
to their feet and, after a few bars, sang the anthem very creditably.

When they had settled themselves, Farmer Best opened the meeting.