That was twenty-five years later.  Mrs. Hallett Taylor had found herself almost single-handed at the outset in her purpose to build the new church on artistic lines.  Or rather the case should be stated thus:  Everyone agreed that it was to be the most beautiful church in the country, consistent with the money, and no one doubted that it would be, especially as everyone except Mrs. Taylor felt that in confiding the matter to the leading architect in Benham the committee would be exercising a wise and intelligent discretion.  Mr. Pierce, the individual suggested, had never, until recently, employed the word architect in speaking of himself, and he pronounced it, as did some of the committee, “arshitect,” shying a little at the word, as though it were caviare and anything but American.  He was a builder, practised by a brief but rushing career in erecting houses, banks, schools, and warehouses speedily and boldly.  He had been on the spot when the new growth of Benham began, and his handiwork was writ large all over the city.  The city was proud of him, and had, as it were, sniffed when Joel Flagg went elsewhere for a man to build his new house.  Surely, if it were necessary to pay extra for that sort of thing, was not home talent good enough?  Yet it must be confessed that the ugly splendor of the Flagg mediaeval castle had so far dazed the eye of Benham that its “arshitect” had felt constrained, in order to keep up with the times, to try fancy flights of his own.  He had silenced any doubting Thomases by his latest effort, a new school-house, rich in rampant angles and scrolls, on the brown-stone front of which the name Flagg School appeared in ambitious, distorted hieroglyphics.

Think what a wealth of imagery in the tossing of the second O on top of the L. If artistic novelty and genius were sought for the new church, here it was ready to be invoked.  Besides, Mr. Pierce was a brother-in-law of one of the members of the committee, and, though the committee had the fear of God in their hearts in the erection of his sanctuary, it was not easy to protest against the near relative of a fellow member, especially one so competent.

The committee numbered seven.  Selma had been chosen to fill a vacancy caused by death, but at the time of her selection the matter was still in embryo, and the question of an architect had not been mooted.  At the next meeting discussion arose as to whether Mr. Pierce should be given the job, under the eagle eyes of a sub-committee, or Mrs. Taylor’s project of inviting competitive designs should be adopted.  It was known that Mr. Glynn, without meaning disrespect to Mr. Pierce, favored the latter plan as more progressive, a word always attractive to Benham ears when they had time to listen.  Its potency, coupled with veneration, for the pastor’s opinion, had secured the vote of Mr. Clyme, a banker.  Another member of the committee, a lawyer, favored Mrs. Taylor’s idea because of a grudge against Mr. Pierce.  The chairman and brother-in-law, and a hard-headed stove dealer, were opposed to the competitive plan as highfalutin and unnecessary.  Thus the deciding vote lay with Selma.