It was the consequence of his having taken them whenever
his father could not, till it came to his having them entirely. He
always took great pains with them, and there was a fellow-feeling
between him and them that could hardly be with an older person. I
said all this--too strongly, most likely--and the Rector put in a
mild word, as to his goodness in coming at all. Smith thought there
was nothing wonderful in liking what ministered to his conceit; and
at last it came out that a baker's boy had met Felix and Smith
consecutively in the street, and only touched his hat to one, and
that the wrong one.'
'I should have been only thankful that he touched his hat to
anybody.'
'That is the very remark by which I put my foot in it, but my Lady
was horrified, and the consequence was, that it fell to me to advise
Felix to resign the class. I never hated a piece of work so much in
my life, for he had worked the lads well, and we both knew that there
would be an end of them. Moreover, Felix has some of the true Briton
about him, and he stood out--would give up the class if the Rector
ordered him, but would relinquish Sunday-school altogether in that
case; and the two girls were furious; but, after one Sunday, he came
to me, said that he found hostility poisoned his teaching, gave up,
and accepted the younger ones.
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