e buds. Gabriel's tastes were the
same, and he admired the florid beauty of Bell with all the ardour of
his young and impetuous heart. He was blind to her liking for
incongruous colours in dress: he was deaf to her bold expressions and
defects in grammar. What lured him was her ripe, rich, exuberant beauty;
what charmed him was the flash of her white teeth and the brilliancy of
her eyes when she smiled; what dominated him was her strong will and
practical way of looking on worldly affairs. Opposite natures are often
attracted to one another by the very fact that they are so undeniably
unlike, and the very characteristics in Bell which pleased Gabriel were
those which he lacked himself.

Undoubtedly he loved her, but, it may be asked, did she love him? and
that is the more difficult question to answer. Candidly speaking, Bell
had an affection for Gabriel. She liked his good looks, his refined
voice, his very weakness of character was not unpleasing to her. But she
did not love him sufficiently to marry him for himself alone. What she
wished to marry was the gentleman, the clergyman, the son of the Bishop
of Beorminster, and unless Gabriel could give her all the pleasures and
delights attendant on his worldly position, she was not prepared to
become Mrs Gabriel Pendle. It was to make this clear to him, to clinch
the bargain, to show that she was willing to barter her milkmaid beauty
and strong common sense for his position and possible money, that she
had come to see him. Not being bemused with love, Bell Mosk was
thoroughly practical, and so spoke very much to the point. Never was
there so prosaic an interview.

'Well, it just comes to this,' she said determinedly, 'I'm not going to
be kept in the background serving out beer any longer. If I am worth
marrying I am worth acknowledging, and that's just what you've got to
do, Gabriel.'

'But my father!' faltered Gabriel, nervously, for he saw in a flash the
difficulties of his position.

'What about your father? He can't eat me, can he?'

'He can cut me off with a shilling, my dear. And that's just what he
will do if he knows I'm engaged to you. Surely, Bell, with your strong
common sense, you can see that for yourself!'

'Of course I see it,' retorted Bell, sharply, for the speech was not
flattering to her vanity; 'all the same, something must be done.'

'We must wait.'

'I'm sick of waiting.'

Gabriel rose to his feet and began to pace to and fro. 'You cannot