"
"He is a minister, and he comes by law," argued Patience. "Do be
satisfied, Stead. I'm always in fear now that folks guess we have
somewhat in charge; and Emlyn is such a child for prying and
chattering. And if they should come and beat thee again, or do
worse. Oh, Stead! surely you might give them up to a good man like
that; Smith Blane says you ought!"
"I doubt me! I know that sort don't hold with Bishops, and, so far
as I can see, by father's old Prayer-book, a lawful minister must
have a Bishop to lay hands on him," said Stead, who had studied the
subject as far as his means would allow, and had good though slow
brains of his own, matured by responsibility. "I'll tell you what,
Patience, I'll go and see Dr. Eales about it. I wot he is a minister
of the old sort, that father would say I might trust to."
Dr. Eales was still living in Mrs. Lightfoot's lodgings, at the sign
of the Wheatsheaf, or more properly starving, for he had only ten
pounds a year paid to him out of the benefice that had been taken
away from him; and though that went farther then than it would do
now, it would not have maintained him, but that his good hostess
charged him as little as she could afford, and he also had a few
pupils among the gentry's sons, but there were too many clergymen in
the same straits for this to be a very profitable undertaking.
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