CHAPTER I<br > Parochial<br > LIGHTS shone brightly through the big windows of the<br > parish church of Great Norne， and through them， too，<br > came the cheerful sound of voices in full song. The<br > voluntary choir of St. Martha s was just completing its<br > weekly practice; collectively they enjoyed letting them-<br > selves go on these Friday evenings， without restraint of<br > Service， and the more 30 now that Summer Time was over<br > and they had the bright lights to encourage them. To a<br > listener in the churchyard the singing might even have<br > appeared harmonious， because at that slight distance the<br > reedy treble of Miss Emily Vinton， a semitone flat what-<br > ever the key， was swallowed up in the general choral effect.<br > For ten years the harassed organist had begged his<br > Vicar to approach Miss Vinton on the subject of honour-<br > able retirement， but Mr. Torridge had not been able to<br > screw himself up to the pitch of striking such a cruel blow.<br > For the last fifty years， woman and girl， Emily had lifted<br > her voice in this choir， and for most of that time she and<br > her sister had been the mainstay on which succeeding<br >choirmasters relied， but twelve years ago Beatrice had<br >been struck down by paralysis， and Emily had never<br >recovered her pitch since that tragic evening.<br > Punctually at seven o clock the voices died away， the<br >big south door swung open， and out clattered a crowd of<br >small boys and large girls， followed more sedately by their<br >elders， six women and four men. Last of all came the<br >Vicar， in cassock and biretta， accompanied by his organist<br >and choirmaster， and by a small elderly lady in coat and<br >skirt of antique cut and hat of nineteenth-century design.<br > !<br >