dedly too wide for
beauty; but the gleam of faultlessly white teeth and a certain
brightness in the dark Irish-gray eyes redeemed her face from
plainness; her skin, too, was clear and naturally fair, but was
evidently embrowned by air and sunshine.

Nature had formed her in a generous mould, for even her hands and feet
were large; and then Malcolm thought of Anna's pretty little hands, and
again he said to himself that in his opinion Elizabeth Templeton was
not an attractive woman.

CHAPTER X

WHAT THE FERN-OWL HEARD

There is but one thing that can never turn into
suffering, and that is the good we have done.
--MAETERLINCK.

It takes two to speak truth--one to speak and another
to hear.
--THOREAU.

While Malcolm was trying to make himself agreeable to the second Miss
Templeton, and not succeeding as well as he could wish, he more than
once broke off the conversation to listen with some amusement to the
bantering by-play going on between Cedric and the young clergyman, Mr.
Carlyon.

They were evidently on intimate terms, for Cedric addressed him as
David or Davie in the most unceremonious manner. Mr. Carlyon appeared
to be quite young, certainly not more than six-or seven-and-twenty, and
had an odd, characteristic, but most pleasant face, that somehow took
Malcolm's fancy at once. It was rather thin and pale, and the mouth a
little receding, but the broad forehead and kindly, frank-looking eyes
somewhat redeemed this defect. There was so much life and animation in
his expression; and a boyish eagerness in his manner, a curious
abruptness in his speech, a certain quick clipping of words and
sentences, only added to his marked individuality, and was by no means
disagreeable when one had become accustomed to it.

Malcolm soon found out that he was the curate belonging to Rotherwood,
the church attended by the Templeton family; and it was soon evident to
him that the sisters, Miss Elizabeth especially, took a great interest
in parochial matters.

"How is old Dr. Dryasdust?" asked Cedric presently, but he spoke in a
jeering tone. Then Elizabeth laughed, but Dinah looked shocked, and Mr.
Carlyon threw a dry clod at him.

"It really is not such a bad name," observed Elizabeth softly, as
though to herself, and then her eyes encountered Mr. Carlyon's--it was
evident that he agreed with her.

"The vic