CHAPTER I
Parochial
LIGHTS shone brightly through the big windows of the
parish church of Great Norne， and through them， too，
came the cheerful sound of voices in full song. The
voluntary choir of St. Martha s was just completing its
weekly practice; collectively they enjoyed letting them-
selves go on these Friday evenings， without restraint of
Service， and the more 30 now that Summer Time was over
and they had the bright lights to encourage them. To a
listener in the churchyard the singing might even have
appeared harmonious， because at that slight distance the
reedy treble of Miss Emily Vinton， a semitone flat what-
ever the key， was swallowed up in the general choral effect.
For ten years the harassed organist had begged his
Vicar to approach Miss Vinton on the subject of honour-
able retirement， but Mr. Torridge had not been able to
screw himself up to the pitch of striking such a cruel blow.
For the last fifty years， woman and girl， Emily had lifted
her voice in this choir， and for most of that time she and
her sister had been the mainstay on which succeeding
choirmasters relied， but twelve years ago Beatrice had
been struck down by paralysis， and Emily had never
recovered her pitch since that tragic evening.
Punctually at seven o clock the voices died away， the
big south door swung open， and out clattered a crowd of
small boys and large girls， followed more sedately by their
elders， six women and four men. Last of all came the
Vicar， in cassock and biretta， accompanied by his organist
and choirmaster， and by a small elderly lady in coat and
skirt of antique cut and hat of nineteenth-century design.
!
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