“I’ll bust un!  An’ his news, tu.  An’ you can say, when you’m axed, ’t is the foulest lie ever falled out of wicked lips.”

Billy now took his hat and stick from their corner and marched to the door without more words.

“No violence, mind now, no violence,” begged Mr. Lyddon.  “This love-making ’s like to wreck the end of my life, wan way or another, yet.  ’T is bad enough with the young; but when it comes to auld, bald-headed fules like you an’ Lezzard—­”

“As to violence, I wouldn’t touch un wi’ the end of a dung-fork—­I wouldn’t.  But I’m gwaine to lay his lie wance an’ for all.  I be off to parson this instant moment.  An’ when my banns of marriage be hollered out next Sunday marnin’, then us’ll knaw who ’m gwaine to marry Mother Coomstock an’ who ban’t.  I can work out my awn salvation wi’ fear an’ tremblin’ so well as any other man; an’ you’ll see what that God-forsaken auld piece looks like come Sunday when he hears what’s done an’ caan’t do nought but just swallow his gall an’ chew ’pon it.”

CHAPTER VIII

MR. BLEE FORGETS HIMSELF

The Rev. James Shorto-Champernowne made no difficulty about Billy’s banns of marriage, although he doubtless held a private opinion upon the wisdom of such a step, and also knew that Mrs. Coomstock was now a very different woman from the sextoness of former days.  He expressed a hope, however, that Mr. Blee would make his future wife become a regular church-goer again after the ceremony; and Billy took it upon himself to promise as much for her.  There the matter ended until the following Sunday, when a sensation, unparalleled in the archives of St. Michael’s, awaited the morning worshippers.

Under chiming of bells the customary congregation arrived, and a perceptible wave of sensation swept from pew to pew at the appearance of more than one unfamiliar face.  Of regular attendants we may note Mrs. Blanchard and Chris, Martin Grimbal, Mr. Lyddon, and his daughter.  Mr. Blee usually sat towards the back of the church at a point immediately behind those benches devoted to the boys.  Here he kept perfect order among the lads, and had done so for many years.  Occasionally it became necessary to turn a youngster out of church, and Billy’s procedure at such a time was masterly; but of opinion to-day that he was a public character, he chose a more conspicuous position, and accepted Mr. Lyddon’s invitation to take a seat in the miller’s own pew.  He felt he owed this prominence, not only to himself, but to Mrs. Coomstock.  She, good soul, had been somewhat evasive and indefinite in her manner since accepting Billy, and her condition of nerves on Sunday morning proved such that she found herself quite unable to attend the house of prayer, although she had promised to do so.  She sent her two servants, however, and, spending the time in private between spirtual and spirituous consolations of Bible and bottle, the widow soon passed into a temporary exaltation ending in unconsciousness.  Thus her maids found her on returning from church.