'Ah! He's minister.'

'You mean the chapel. So that's your persuasion. Now Mr. Reddin is such
a sta'nch Charchman.'

Reddin looked exceedingly discomfited.

'And when did this happy event take place?'

A cat with a mouse was nothing to Miss Clomber with a sinner.

At this point Reddin saw, as he put it, what she was driving at. He was
very sleepy, having been out all day and eaten a large tea, and he
never combated a physical desire. So he cut across a remark of Amelia's
to the effect that marriage with the _right_ woman so added to a
man's comfort, and said:

'I'm not married if that's what you mean.'

'Then who--' said Miss Clomber, feeling that she had him now.

'My keep,' he said baldly. He thought they would go at that. But they
sat tight. They had, as Miss Clomber said afterwards, a soul to save.
They both realized how pleasant might be the earthly lot of one engaged
in this heavenly occupation.

'Hah! You call a spade a spade, Mr. Reddin,' said Miss Clomber, with a
frosty glance at Hazel; 'you are not, as our dear Browning has it,
"mealy mouthed".'