"I quite agree with you," replied the widow, quietly.
Miss Chichester would have taken anything from Ruth Tracy in the way of verbal opposition, without a shadow of resentment; but to be openly antagonized by this person who had presumed to force herself socially into one of the most exclusive drawing-rooms on the hill—she could not listen and hold herself completely in abeyance. However, she ignored the widow and addressed her forthcoming remark exclusively to Ruth.
"I should think, my dear," she said, "that with the sad experience you have recently had, which everybody says was a direct result of the trouble Mr. Farrar has got the church into, you would hesitate about believing that either righteousness or happiness could result from his schemes."
A flush came into Mrs. Bradley's cheeks, but she held her peace. She well knew that Miss Tracy was fully capable of fighting her own battles. Ruth showed no sign of resentment. Her face had paled slightly, but she spoke without feeling or excitement.
"You must remember, Jane," she said, "that, where one person may have suffered because of the upheaval in the church, a hundred have found hope and satisfaction in the gospel that is being preached to them."
"Oh," retorted Miss Chichester, "those people that come to church nowadays are merely sensation hunters. They come, and listen, and smack their lips, and go away just as irreligious and atheistic and destructive as they were before they came. Those are largely the kind of people who are encouraging Mr. Farrar to make this fight. Of course, I don't include you, dear."
"You include me, perhaps?" Mrs. Bradley smiled as she asked the question, and her white teeth shone.
"There's an old saying," replied Miss Chichester, "to this effect: 'If the shoe fits, put it on.'"
Mrs. Bradley laughed outright; not meanly, but merrily.
