re," said Mr Blake. Miss Lawrie only shook her head. "Mr Hall
will be very sorry to miss him. And then I have some special good
news to tell him."

"Special good news!" Could it be that something had happened which
would induce Mr Whittlestaff to change his mind. That was the one
subject which to her, at the present moment, was capable of meaning
specially good tidings.

"Yes, indeed, Miss Lawrie; double good news, I may say. Old Mr
Harbottle has gone at last at San Remo." Mary did know who Mr
Harbottle was,--or had been. Mr Harbottle had been the vicar at
Little Alresford, for whose death Mr Blake was waiting, in order
that he might enter in together upon the good things of matrimony and
the living. He was a man so contented, and talked so frequently of
the good things which Fortune was to do for him, that the tidings of
his luck had reached even the ears of Mary Lawrie. "That's an odd
way of putting it, of course," continued Mr Blake; "but then he was
quite old and very asthmatic, and couldn't ever come back again. Of
course I'm very sorry for him,--in one way; but then I'm very glad in
another. It is a good thing to have the house in my own hands, so as
to begin to paint at once, ready for her coming. Her father wouldn't
let her be married till I had got the living, and I think he was
right, because I shouldn't have liked to spend money in painting and
such like on an uncertainty. As the old gentleman had to die, why
shouldn't I tell the truth? Of course I am glad, though it does sound
so terrible."

"But what are the double good news?"

"Oh, I didn't tell you. Miss Forrester is to come to the Park. She is
not coming because Mr Harbottle is dead. That's only a coincidence.
We are not going to be married quite at once,--straight off the reel,
you know. I shall have to go to Winchester for that. But now that old
Harbottle has gone, I'll get the day fixed; you see if I don't. But I
must really be off, Miss Lawrie. Mr Hall will be terribly vexed if I
don't find Gordon, and there's no knowing where he may go whilst I'm
talking here." Then he made his adieux, but returned before he had
shut the door after him. "You couldn't send somebody with me, Miss
Lawrie? I shall be afraid of that wooden-legged man in the stables,
for fear he should get up and abuse me. He asked me to get him some
gin,--which was quite unreasonable." But on being assured that he
would find the groom about the place, he went out, and the trot of
h