"The parish could not bear it, Captain Monk," remonstrated the
clergyman. "You know what dissatisfaction was caused by the last extra
rate put on, and how low an ebb things are at just now."

"When I will a thing, I do it," retorted the Captain, with a meaning
word or two. "We'll send out the rate and we'll get the chimes."

"It will, I fear, lie in my duty to protest against it," spoke the
uneasy parson.

"It may lie in your duty to be a wet-blanket, but you won't protest me
out of my will. Gentlemen, we will all meet here again this time
twelvemonth, when the chimes shall ring-in the new year for you.--Here,
Dutton, you can unlock the door now," concluded the Captain, handing the
key to the other churchwarden. "Our parson is upon thorns to be away
from us."

Not the parson only, but several others availed themselves of the
opportunity to escape.


II.

It perhaps did not surprise the parish to find that its owner and
master, Captain Monk, intended to persist in his resolution of
embellishing the church-tower with a set of chiming-bells. They knew him
too well to hope anything less. Why! two years ago, at the same annual
feast, some remarks or other at table put it into his head to declare he
would stop up the public path by the Rill; and his obstinate will