But one man at least in that audience was not hampered by inherited or acquired reverence for the sacred edifice . Norman Douglas was , as Susan had often vowed crisply , nothing more or less than a `` pagan . '' But he was a rampantly patriotic pagan , and when the significance of what Mr. Pryor was saying fully dawned on him , Norman Douglas suddenly went berserk . With a positive roar he bounded to his feet in his side pew , facing the audience , and shouted in tones of thunder : `` Stop -- stop -- STOP that abominable prayer ! What an abominable prayer ! '' Every head in the church flew up . A boy in khaki at the back gave a faint cheer . Mr. Meredith raised a deprecating hand , but Norman was past caring for anything like that . Eluding his wife 's restraining grasp , he gave one mad spring over the front of the pew and caught the unfortunate Whiskers-on-the-moon by his coat collar . Mr. Pryor had not `` stopped '' when so bidden , but he stopped now , perforce , for Norman , his long red beard literally bristling with fury , was shaking him until his bones fairly rattled , and punctuating his shakes with a lurid assortment of abusive epithets . `` You blatant beast ! '' -- shake -- `` You malignant carrion '' -- shake -- `` You pig-headed varmint ! '' -- shake -- `` you putrid pup '' -- shake -- `` you pestilential parasite '' -- shake -- `` you -- Hunnish scum '' -- shake -- `` you indecent reptile -- you -- you -- '' Norman choked for a moment . Everybody believed that the next thing he would say , church or no church , would be something that would have to be spelt with asterisks ; but at that moment Norman encountered his wife 's eye and he fell back with a thud on Holy Writ . `` You whited sepulchre ! '' he bellowed , with a final shake , and cast Whiskers-on-the-moon from him with a vigour which impelled that unhappy pacifist to the very verge of the choir entrance door . Mr. Pryor 's once ruddy face was ashen . But he turned at bay . `` I 'll have the law on you for this , '' he gasped . `` Do -- do , '' roared Norman , making another rush .
But Mr. XXXXX was gone .
Meredith Norman Pryor Susan Whiskers-on-the-moon choked pew reptile scum sepulchre