“Humph!  I believe that between this man and that girl, you will make a Christian even of me some day!”

But the lull was only for a moment.  For Major Campbell, looking round, discerned among the crowd the preacher, whispering and scowling amid a knot of women; and a sudden fit of righteous wrath came over him.

“Stand out there, sir, you preacher, and look me in the face, if you can!” thundered he.  “We are here on common ground as free men, beneath God’s heaven and God’s eye.  Stand out, sir! and answer me if you can; or be for ever silent!”

Half in unconscious obedience to the soldier-like word of command, half in jealous rage, the preacher stepped forward, gasping for breath,—­ “Don’t listen to him!  He is a messenger of Satan, sent to damn you—­a lying prophet!  Let the Lord judge between me and him!  Stop your ears—­a messenger of Satan—­a Jesuit in disguise!”

“You lie, and you know that you lie!” answered Campbell, twirling slowly his long moustache, as he always did when choking down indignation.  “But you have called on the Lord to judge; so do I. Listen to me, sir!  Dare you, in the presence of God, answer for the words which you have spoken this day?”

A strange smile came over the preacher’s face.

“I read my title clear, sir, to mansions in the skies.  Well for you if you could do the same.”

Was it only the setting sun, or was it some inner light from the depths of that great spirit, which shone out in all his countenance, and filled his eyes with awful inspiration, as he spoke, in a voice calm and sweet, sad and regretful, and yet terrible from the slow distinctness of every vowel and consonant?

“Mansions in the skies?  You need not wait till then, sir, for the presence of God.  Now, here, you and I are before God’s judgment-seat.  Now, here, I call on you to answer to Him for the innocent lives which you have endangered and destroyed, for the innocent souls to whom you have slandered their heavenly Father by your devil’s doctrines this day!  You have said it.  Let the Lord judge between you and me.  He knows best how to make His judgment manifest.”

He bowed his head awhile, as if overcome by the awful words which he had uttered, almost in spite of himself, and then stepped slowly down from the stone, and passed through the crowd, which reverently made way for him; while many voices cried, “Thank you, sir!  Thank you!” and old Captain Willis, stepping forward, held out his hand to him, a quiet pride in his grey eye.

“You will not refuse an old fighting man’s thanks, sir?  This has been like Elijah’s day with Baal’s priests on Carmel.”

Campbell shook his hand in silence:  but turned suddenly, for another and a coarser voice caught his ear.  It was Jones, the Lieutenant’s.

“And now, my lads, take the Methodist Parson, neck and heels, and heave him into the quay pool, to think over his summons!”