CHAPTER XII .-- Interview between Darby and Mr.Lucre.
-- Darby feels Scriptural, and was as Scripturally treated--Mr.Lucre's Christian Disposition towards Father M'Cabe--A few Brands offer Themselves to be Plucked from the Burning--Their Qualification, for Conversion, as stated by Themselves.
Mr.Lucre, like almost every Protestant rector of the day, was a magistrate, a circumstance which prevented Mr.Clement from feeling any surprise at seeing a considerable number of persons, of both sexes, approaching the glebe.

He imagined, naturally enough, that they were going upon law business, as it is termed--for he knew that Mr.Lucre, during his angel visits to Castle Cumber, took much more delight in administering the law than the gospel, unless, when ready made, in the shape of Bibles.

When Darby, also, arrived, he found a considerable number of these persons standing among a little clump of trees in the lawn, apparently waiting for some person to break the ice, and go in first--a feat which each felt anxious to decline himself, whilst he pressed it very strongly upon his neighbor.

No sooner had Darby made his appearance than a communication took place between him and them, in which it was settled that he was to have the first interview, and afterwards direct the conduct and motions of the rest.

There was, indeed, a dry, knowing look about him, which seemed to imply, in fact, that they were not there without some suggestion from himself.
Darby was very well known to Mr.Lucre, for whom he had frequently acted in the capacity of a bailiff; he accordingly entered with something like an appearance of business, but so admirably balanced was his conduct on this occasion, between his usual sneaking and servile manner, and his privileges as a Christian, that it would be difficult to witness anything so inimitably well managed as his deportment.