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 had a Claim to it;—or whether, as it had, Time immemorial, hung up in the Church, the taking it down might not raise a Clamour in the Parish. These In­quiries were the very Thing that Trim dreaded in his Heart.—He knew very well that if the Parson should but say one Word to the Church-Wardens about it, there would be an End of the whole Af­fair. For this, and some other Reasons not necessary to be told you, at present, Trim was for allowing no Time in this Mat­ter;—but, on the contrary, doubled his Diligence and Importunity at the Vicarage-House;—plagued the whole Family to Death;—pressed his Suit Morning, Noon, and Night; and, to shorten my Story, teazed the poor Gentleman, who was but in an ill State of Health, almost out of his Life about it.

You will not wonder, when I tell you, that all this Hurry and Precipitation, on the Side of Master Trim, produced its na­tural Effect on the Side of the Parson, and that was, a Suspicion that all was not right at the Bottom.