Their brother they regarded with admiration, tempered by anxiety.  ‘Great talents,’ they knew by report, were often perilous to the possessor, and there was reason to fear that Samuel Bennett Barmby had not resisted all the temptations to which his intellect exposed him.  At the age of one-and-twenty he made a startling announcement; ‘the Chapel’ no longer satisfied the needs of his soul, and he found himself summoned to join the Church of England as by law established.  Religious intolerance not being a family characteristic, Mr. Barmby and his daughters, though they looked grave over the young man’s apostasy, admitted his freedom in this matter; their respected friend Mr. Lord belonged to the Church, and it could not be thought that so earnest-minded a man walked in the way to perdition.  At the same time, Samuel began to exhibit a liking for social pleasures, which were, it might be hoped, innocent, but, as they kept him from home of evenings, gave some ground for uneasiness.  He had joined a society of young men who met for intellectual debate, and his success as an orator fostered the spiritual pride already discernible in him.  His next step could not be regarded without concern, for he became a member of the National Sunday League.  Deceptive name!  At first the Miss.  Barmbys supposed this was a union for safe-guarding the Sabbath-day; it appalled them to discover that the League had quite an opposite tendency, that its adherents sallied forth together on ‘Sunday excursions,’ that they received tickets for Sunday admission to picture galleries, and in various other ways offended orthodox feeling.  But again the father and sisters gave patient ear to Samuel’s elaborate arguments.  They became convinced that he had no evil intentions.  The elder girl, having caught up a pregnant phrase in some periodical she approved, began to remark that Samuel had ‘a modern mind;’ and this eventually consoled them.

When it began to be observed that Samuel talked somewhat frequently of Miss.  Lord, the implied suggestion caused a tremor of confused feeling.  To the Miss.  Barmbys, Nancy seemed an enigmatic person; they had tried to like her, but could not; they objected to her assumption of superiority, and were in grave doubt as to her opinions on cardinal points of faith and behaviour.  Yet, when it appeared a possibility that their brother might woo Miss.  Lord and win her for a wife, the girls did their best to see her in a more favourable light.  Not for a moment did it occur to them that Nancy could regard a proposal from Samuel as anything but an honour; to them she might behave slightingly, for they were of her own sex, and not clever; but a girl who prided herself on intellectual attainments must of course look up to Samuel Bennett with reverence.  In their unworldliness—­of a truth they were good, simple creatures—­the slight difference of social position seemed unimportant.  And with Samuel’s elevation to a partnership, even that one shadowy obstacle was removed.  Henceforth they would meet Nancy in a conciliatory spirit, and, if she insisted upon it, bow down before her.