'Do they speak much of Griffith's valuation at Dungory Castle?'

'Oh! they never cease, and--and--I don't know whether I ought to say,
but it won't matter with you, I suppose?--mind, you must not breathe a
word of this at Brookfield--the fact is my sisters' school--you know
they have a school, and go in for trying to convert the people--well,
this has got papa into a great deal of trouble. The Bishop has sent down
another priest--I think they call it a mission--and we are going to be
preached against, and papa received a threatening letter this morning.
He is going, I believe, to apply for police.'

'And is this on account of the proselytizing?'

'Oh! no, not entirely; he has refused to give his tenants Griffith's
valuation; but it makes one very unpopular to be denounced by the
priest. I assure you, papa is very angry. He told Sarah and Jane this
morning at breakfast that he'd have no more of it; that they had no
right to go into the poor people's houses and pull the children from
under the beds, and ask why they were not at school; that he didn't care
of what religion they were as long as they paid the rent; and that he
wasn't going to have his life endangered for such nonsense. There was an
awful row at home this morning. For my own part, I must say I sympathize
with papa. Besides the school, Sarah has, you know, a shop, where she
sells bacon, sugar, and tea at cost price, and it is well-known that
those who send their children to the school will never be asked to pay
their bills. She wanted me to come and help to weigh out the meal, Jane
being confined to her room with a sick headache, but I got out of it. I
would not, if I could, convert those poor people. You know, I often
fancy--I mean fear--I often sympathize too much with your creed. It was
only at service last Sunday I was thinking of it; our religion seems so