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The Ball and the Cross

sufficient. MacIan resumed in some encouragement:

“You think as I do, I hope; you think that a man should be connected with the Church; with the common Christian——”

The old man extended a quivering stick in the direction of a distant hill.

“There’s the church,” he said thickly. “Grassley old church that is. Pulled down it was, in the old squire’s time, and ——”

“I mean,” explained MacIan elaborately, “that you think that there should be some one typifying religion, a priest——”

“Priests!” said the old man with sudden passion. “Priests! I know ’un. What they want in England? That’s what I say. What they want in England?”

“They want you,” said MacIan.

“Quite so,” said Turnbull, “and me; but they won’t get us. MacIan, your attempt on the primitive innocence does not seem very successful. Let me try. What you want, my friend, is your rights. You don’t want any priests or churches. A vote, a right to speak is what you——”

“Who says I a’n’t got a right to speak?” said

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