church, then!' Miss Reed cried with the utmost
surprise.

Mr Golding looked at her stupidly, not understanding her agitation. But
they had reached the church. Miss Reed stopped in the porch to wipe her
boots and pass an arranging hand over her hair. Then, gathering herself
together, she walked down the aisle to her pew.

She arranged the hassock and knelt down, clasping her hands and closing
her eyes; she said the Lord's Prayer; and being a religious woman, she
did not immediately rise, but remained a certain time in the same
position of worship to cultivate a proper frame of mind, her long,
sallow face upraised, her mouth firmly closed, and her eyelids quivering
a little from the devotional force with which she kept her eyes shut;
her thin bust, very erect, was encased in a black jacket as in a coat of
steel. But when Miss Reed considered that a due period had elapsed, she
opened her eyes, and, as she rose from her knees, bent over to a lady
sitting just in front of her.

'Have you heard about the Griffiths, Mrs Howlett?'

'No!... What is it?' answered Mrs Howlett, half turning round, intensely
curious.

Miss Reed waited a moment to heighten the effect of her statement.

'Daisy Griffith has eloped--with an officer from the depot at
Tercanbury.'

Mrs Howlett gave a little gasp.

'You don't say so!'

'It's all they could expect,' whispered Miss Reed. 'They ought to have
known something was the matter when she went into Tercanbury three or
four times a week.'

Blackstable is six miles from Tercanbury, which is a cathedral city and
has a cavalry depot.

'I've seen her hanging about the barracks with my own eyes,' said Mrs
Howlett, 'but I never suspected anything.'

'Shocking! isn't it?' said Miss Reed, with suppressed delight.

'But how did you find out?' asked Mrs Howlett.

'Ssh!' whispered Miss Reed--the widow, in her excitement, had raised her
voice a little and Miss Reed could never suffer the least irreverence in
church.... 'She never came back last night, and George Browning saw them
get into the London train at Tercanbury.'

'Well, I never!' exclaimed Mrs Howlett.

'D'you think the Griffiths'll have the face to come to church?'

'I shouldn't if I was them,' said Miss Reed.

But at that moment the vestry door was opened and the organ began to
play the hymn.

'I'll see you afterwards,' Miss Reed whispered hurriedly; and rising
from their seats, both ladies began to sing,--

_O Jesu, tho