in your faith. What I want to know is, what has he done?"

Suddenly Charlotte sprang up, and pushed herself in between her
father and Mrs. Thayer; she confronted Deborah, and compelled her to
look at her.

"I'll tell you what he's done," she said, fiercely. "I know what he's
done; you listen to me. He has done nothing--nothing that you've got
to deal with him for. You needn't feel obliged to deal with him. He
and father got into a talk over the 'lection, and they had words
about it. He didn't talk any worse than father, not a mite. Father
started it, anyway, and he knew better; he knew just how set Barney
was on his own side, and how set he was on his; he wanted to pick a
quarrel."

"Charlotte!" shouted Cephas.

"You keep still, father," returned Charlotte, with steady fierceness.
"I've never set myself up against you in my whole life before; but
now I'm going to, because it's just and right. Father wanted to pick
a quarrel," she repeated, turning to Deborah; "he's been kind of
grouty to Barney for some time. I don't know why; he took a notion
to, I suppose. When they got to having words about the 'lection,
father begun it. I heard him. Barney answered back, and I didn't
blame him; I would, in his place. Then father ordered him out of the
house, and he went. I don't see what else he could do. And I don't
blame him because he didn't go home if he didn't feel like it."

"Didn't he go away from here before nine o'clock?" demanded Deborah,
addressing Charlotte at last.