He held up a black bottle to the light, and blinked at it short-sightedly.

"I--I only wanted to make sure," he added; "it is apt to make one somewhat apprehensive, when one is officiating in a strange church--apprehensive, if you understand what I mean, of any hitch in the service." "Quite so," said Mr.Windle, sympathetically.

He extracted a small, white, potash throat lozenge from the pocket of his waistcoat, and placed it on his tongue.

In another twenty-five minutes from that moment he would be reading the lessons.

The lozenge would be dissolved and swallowed by that time, and the beneficial effect upon his throat complete when he was ready to begin.
"The bishop is holding early Communion in Maidstone this morning," he said, when the lozenge had settled into its customary place in his mouth.
"So I heard," said Mr.Bishop.