The Vicar's People Part 33

"Don't be offended, I mean no harm," said Geoffrey, smiling, "and I am not talking to an elder, but a contemporary, as I said before. Besides, Miss Penwynn heard it, and she shall be judge."

"I beg, Mr Trethick," began the vicar, but on glancing at Rhoda's eager face, he determined not to be mastered in argument, especially upon his own ground.

"I maintain," said Geoffrey, coolly, "that your sermon was a masterly bit of logic."

The vicar stared.

"A capital line of argument."

Rhoda nodded.

"Most scholarly."

A faint flush began to appear in the vicar's cheeks.

"In fact, an excellent sermon," said Geoffrey.

"Then why do you allude to it?" said the vicar, rather warmly.

"Because I maintain that it was perfectly unsuited for a simple-minded, ignorant congregation of fishermen and miners. What do they care about how Saint Augustine wrote, or Polycarp thought, or the doings of Chrysostom the Golden Mouthed? Your words about the heresies and the Gnostics and Manichaeans were all thrown away. The early days of the Church don't interest them a bit, but they can understand about the patriarchs and their troubles and weaknesses, because the masterly hand that wrote their lives painted them as men similar to themselves."

"Mr Trethick!"

"All right; I've just done," said Geoffrey. "There was another sermon of yours too, I heard you preach, a well-meant one, but somehow you did not get hold of them. You had taken the text about the apostles becoming fishers of men, and the rough fellows could not see that it was their duty to give up their boats and nets, and forsake their wives and little ones, as you downright told them they ought."

"I hope I know my duty, Mr Trethick," said the vicar, sternly.

"I hope you do, sir; but somehow, as I say, you don't get hold of them.

Now Pengelly seems to fit what he says to their everyday life, and shows them how to follow the apostles' example in their self-denial and patience. Why, my dear sir, the people here care no more for the early fathers of the Church than--than I do," he added, at a loss for a simile.

"Mr Trethick, you surprise me," gasped the vicar, "you pain me."

"Do I?" said Geoffrey. "Well, I don't want to do so. Now that man on Sunday night; he took for his text--"

"Miss Penwynn, Mr Trethick," said the vicar, rising, "I find--the time--I must say good-morning."

"I'm afraid I've been too free-speaking," said Geoffrey, earnestly, as he held out his hand. "It's a bad habit of mine to get warm in argument; and I dare say I've been preaching most heretically."

The vicar hesitated for a moment, but Geoffrey's manner disarmed him, and besides, Rhoda was looking on.

The result was that he shook hands warmly, and said, with a smile, "Mr Trethick, we must have a few more arguments. I am not beaten yet.

Good-morning."

"Beaten? no," said Geoffrey. "Good-morning. Miss Penwynn, I'm afraid I've shocked you," he said, merrily, as soon as they were left alone; and as he spoke he could not help admiring the bright, animated face before him; for after the vicar's smooth, flowing speeches that morning, Geoffrey's brisk, sharp way had seemed to her like the racy breeze of the sea, fanning her spirit, and making her very pulses tingle.

"Shocked?" she said, eagerly; "I liked the discussion. I do love to hear a man speak as he really feels."

"Do you?" said Geoffrey, showing his white teeth. "Well really, Miss Penwynn, if we ever meet much in the future you will invariably hear me speak as I feel. I always did it, and invariably got myself into trouble."

"For being honest?" said Rhoda.

"Yes, for being honest. We're a strange people, Miss Penwynn. Every one advocates the truth, and straightforwardness, but, as a rule, those two qualities find very little favour."

"I'm afraid there is a great deal in what you say," said Rhoda, thoughtfully.

"I'm sure there is," exclaimed Geoffrey. "It's a queer world altogether, but I like it all the same."

"I hope we all do," replied Rhoda, smiling.

"Of course; and we do all like it," said Geoffrey, in an imperious way; "and when next you hear any one, my dear young lady, calling it a vale of tears, and wanting to be somewhere else, you set that person down as an impostor or a fool."

Rhoda raised her eyebrows, feeling half-annoyed at his freedom, half amused.

"It's a splendid world, and it's half bitters, half sweets."

"Indeed?"

"Yes, and wisely so. The bitters make us like the sweets. I find old Mr Paul up yonder do me no end of good when I'm put out. He's all bitters."

"And Madge Mullion supplies the sweets," thought Rhoda.

"Don't you think I ought to have gone into the Church, Miss Penwynn?"

said Geoffrey, abruptly.

"No. Why?"

"Because I'm so fond of preaching. Somehow it always sets me going if I come across a man with about two notions only in his head, which he jumps to the conclusion will do admirably for the north and south poles of the world, and that he has nothing else to do but set the world turning upon them; and gets cross if some one tells him the world is really turning the other way. But I'm preaching again. There, I frightened the parson away, and if I don't change my tone, or Mr Penwynn does not soon send for me, I shall scare you as well."

"I am not so easily alarmed," said Rhoda, laughing; "but I hope you are meeting with success in your efforts, Mr Trethick?"

"Success, my dear madam?" replied Geoffrey, laughing outright. "Why, I have been hammering away ever since I came down, months now, and have not succeeded in any thing but in making the people harder against me."

"I am sorry to hear that."

"Thank you. Sympathy's nice," said Geoffrey. "But I'm not beaten yet, Miss Penwynn, and now I think the sun is going to s.h.i.+ne, for Mr Penwynn has sent me a line asking me to come and see him; and I have a shrewd suspicion that it means business."

"Mr Penwynn will see you, sir, in the study," said a servant, opening the door; and, after a frank good-by, Geoffrey swung out of the room, Rhoda's eyes following him till the door closed.

But she did not sigh, she did not go to the gla.s.s and look conscious, she did not begin to commune with her spirit, she only said, quietly,--

"There is a something about him that I like!"

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO.

A BUSINESS INTERVIEW.