"It was quite involuntary, I assure you." Then, quickly recovering himself, he added, "And now we shall conclude the service by singing the seventy-ninth hymn." Before the last verse was sung he reminded the audience of the congregational meeting immediately following, and without further comment the service was brought to a close.
A number of the congregation, among them Barry's father, departed.
"Sit down, Neil," said Mrs.Innes to Neil Fraser.

"You'll be wanted I doot." And Neil, protesting that he knew nothing about church business, sat down.
At the back of the church were gathered Harry Hobbs, young Pickles, and others of the less important attendants of the church, who had been induced to remain by the rumour of a "scrap." By a fatal mischance, the pliant Nathan Pilley was elected chairman.
This gentleman was obsessed by the notion that he possessed in a high degree the two qualities which he considered essential to the harmonious and expeditious conduct of a public meeting, namely, an invincible determination to agree with every speaker, and an equally invincible determination to get motions passed.
In a rambling and aimless speech, Mr.Pilley set forth in a somewhat general way the steps leading up to this meeting, and then called upon Mr.Innes, the chairman of the Board of Management, to state more specifically the object for which it was called.
Mr.Innes, who was incurably averse to voluble speech, whether public or private, arose and said, in rolling Doric: "Weel, Mr.Chair-r-man, there's no much to be done.

We're behind a few hundred dollars, but if some one will go about wi' a bit paper, nae doot the ar-rear-rs wad soon be made up, and everything wad be ar-richt." "Exactly," said Mr.Pilley pleasantly.

"Now will some one offer a motion ?" Thereupon Mr.Hayes was instantly upon his feet, and in a voice thin and rasping exclaimed: "Mr.Chairman, there's business to be done, and we are here to do it, and we're not going to be rushed through in this way." "Exactly, Mr.Hayes, exactly," said Mr.Pilley.

"We must give these matters the fullest consideration." Then followed a silence.
"Perhaps Mr.Hayes--" continued the chairman, looking appealingly at that gentleman.
"Well, Mr.Chairman," said Mr.Hayes, with an appeased but slightly injured air, "it is not my place to set forth the cause of this meeting being called.