tarched and Ironed."

Dick managed, by the aid of a knife and fork, to extract a towel from
under a muslin dress without wetting the latter; and for a moment he
ventured to assume a tone of criticism.

"I fear for that dress," he said, as they wiped their hands together.

"What?" said Miss Day, looking into the box at the dress alluded to. "O,
I know what you mean--that the vicar will never let me wear muslin?"

"Yes."

"Well, I know it is condemned by all orders in the church as flaunting,
and unfit for common wear for girls who've their living to get; but we'll
see."

"In the interest of the church, I hope you don't speak seriously."

"Yes, I do; but we'll see." There was a comely determination on her lip,
very pleasant to a beholder who was neither bishop, priest, nor deacon.
"I think I can manage any vicar's views about me if he's under forty."

Dick rather wished she had never thought of managing vicars.

"I certainly shall be glad to get some of your delicious tea," he said in
rather a free way, yet modestly, as became one in a position between that
of visitor and inmate, and looking wistfully at his lonely saucer.

"So shall I. Now is there anything else we want, Mr Dewy?"

"I really think there's nothing else, Miss Day."

She prepared to sit down, looking musingly out of the window at Smart's
enjoyment of the rich grass. "Nobody seems to care about me," she
murmured, with large lost eyes fixed upon the sky beyond Smart.

"Perhaps Mr. Shiner does," said Dick, in the tone of a slightly injured
man.

"Yes, I forgot--he does, I know." Dick precipitately regretted that he
had suggested Shiner, since it had produced such a miserable result as
this.

"I'll warrant you'll care for somebody very much indeed another day,
won't you, Mr. Dewy?" she continued, looking very feelingly into the
mathematical centre of his eyes.

"Ah, I'll warrant I shall," said Dick, feelingly too, and looking back
into her dark pupils, whereupon they were turned aside.

"I meant," she went on, preventing him from speaking just as he was going
to narrate a forcible story about his feelings; "I meant that nobody
comes to see if I have returned--not even the vicar."

"If you want to see him, I'll call at the vicarage directly we have had
some tea."

"No, no! Don't let him come down here, whatever you do, whilst I am in
such a state of disarrangement. Parsons look so miserable and awkward
when one's house is in a muddl