"I reckon Abel knows how much to believe of that," Mrs. Braile commented,
and Reverdy gave the pleased chuckle of a social inferior raised above his
level by amiable condescension. But as if he thought it safest to refuse
any share in this intimacy, he ended his adulations with the opinion, "I
should say that if these here two rooms was th'owed together they'd make
half as much as the Temple."

Braile stopped in his walk and bent his frown on Reverdy, but not in
anger. "This _is_ the Temple: Temple of Justice--Justice of the
Peace. Do you people think there's only one kind of temple in Leatherwood?"

Reverdy gave his chuckle again. "Well, Squire, I ought to know, anyway,
all the log-rollin' I done for you last 'lection time. I didn't hardly
believe you'd git in, because they said you was a infidel."

"Well, you couldn't deny it, could you?" Braile asked, with increasing
friendliness in his frown.

"No, I couldn't deny it, Squire. But the way I told 'em to look at it
was, Mis' Braile was Christian enough for the whole family. Said
_you_ knowed more law and _she_ knowed more gospel than all the
rest of Leatherwood put together."

"And that was what elected the family, was it?" Braile asked. "Well, I
hope Mrs. Braile won't refuse to serve," he said, and he began his walk
again. "Tell her about that horse that broke into the meetin' last night,
and tried to play man."

Reverdy laughed, shaking his head over his plate of bacon and reaching