She only warned him of what he knew was Gospel
truth--that the little failures were more frequent under hurry or
excitement, and that when deeply moved he had a tendency to lapse
badly toward the ancient peasant lingo.
Nothing to worry about, however. It merely indicated that he must
never speak on important matters without due preparation. He would be
all right up there, knowing to a syllable what he wished to say; and
he thought with swelling pride of comparatively recent public speeches
and the praise that he had received from them. After the Parish
meeting last January the _Rodhaven District Courier_ had said, "With
a few happy remarks Mr. Dale adverted again to the fallacy of plunging
the village into the expense of a costly fire-engine without first
ascertaining the reliability of the water supply." His very words,
almost _verbatim_ "Happy remarks!" A magistrate on the bench could not
have been better reported or more handsomely praised.
The reviewing of these manifold bounties of Providence had produced a
sedative effect; but now he grew restless once more. He felt that
twinge of doubt, the pin-prick of illogical fear which during the last
eighteen hours had again and again pierced his armor of
self-confidence.
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