There was silence for a moment or two. Sam quickened his labors upon
the shoe, and the lady bent her gaze closely upon the shoemaker. At
last she said,--

"Mr. Kimper, don't mistake the meaning of what I am going to ask you. I
am a member of the church, myself, and I have as hearty an interest in
you and sympathy for you as the best friend you have. But I want to ask
you one thing, merely out of curiosity. Has any one questioned you,
since, about what you said that evening?"

"Nobody but Deacon Quickset, ma'am."

"Ah? Deacon Quickset? Did he say anything that annoyed you in any way?"

"I can't say that he did, ma'am; though he kind o' filled my mind with
doubts an' gave me a sort o' sleepless evenin'."

"I'm very sorry for that. There's some one else who may trouble you
somewhat, and I'm sorry to say that if he does I shall be to blame for
it. He is a young lawyer. His name is Reynolds Bartram."

"I know him, ma'am; at least, I know him by sight. He's of very good
stock, ma'am. His folks have been in this county a longtime, from what
I've heerd, off an' on."

"Very true," replied Mrs. Prency; "but he has peculiar views, and when
he hears of any one who believes--believes in religion as you do, he is
quite likely to visit him and to ask a great many questions."