He showed them magnified abominations enough to frighten all the children into fits, and dilated on horrors enough to spoil all appetites: he proved to them that, though they had the finest water in the world all over the town, they had contrived to poison almost every drop of it; he waxed eloquent, witty, sarcastic; and the net result was a general grumble.
"How did he get hold of all the specimens, as he calls them?
What business has he poking his nose down people's wells and waterbutts ?" But an unexpected ally arose at this juncture, in the coast-guard lieutenant, who, being valiant after his evening's brandy-and-water, rose and declared, "that Dr.Thurnall was a very clever man; that by what he'd seen himself in the West Indies, it was all as true as gospel; that the parish might have the cholera if it liked,"-- and here a few expletives occurred,--"but that he'd see that the coast-guard houses were put to rights at once; for he would not have the lives of Her Majesty's servants endangered by such dirty tricks, not fit for heathen savages," etc.

etc.
Tom struck while the iron was hot.

He saw that the great man's speech had produced an impression.
"Would he" (so he asked the lieutenant privately) "get some one to join him, and present a few of these nuisances ?" He would do anything in his contempt for "a lot of long-shore merchant-skippers and herringers, who went about calling themselves captains, and fancy themselves, sir, as good as if they wore the Queen's uniform!" "Well, then, can't we find another householder--some cantankerous dog who don't mind a row ?" Yes, the cantankerous dog was found, in the person of Mr.John Penruddock, coal-merchant, who had quarrelled with Tardrew, because Tardrew said he gave short weight--which he very probably did--and had quarrelled also with Thomas Beer, senior, shipbuilder, about right of passage through a back-yard.
Mr.Penruddock suddenly discovered that Mr.Beer kept up a dirt-heap in the said back-yard, and with virtuous indignation vowed "he'd sarve the old beggar out at last." So far so good.

The weapons of reason and righteousness having failed, Tom felt at liberty to borrow the devil's tools.

Now to pack a vestry, and to nominate a local committee.
The vestry was packed; the committee nominated: of course half of them refused to act--they "didn't want to go quarrelling with their neighbours." Tom explained to them cunningly and delicately that they would have nothing to do; that one or two (he did not say that he was the one, and the two also) would do all the work, and bear all the odium; whereon the malcontents subsided, considering it likely that, after all, nothing would be done.
Some may fancy that matters were now getting somewhat settled.