s."

"I have no money," said Mary,--"not a shilling! He knows that."

"Nevertheless there will be money matters, which you will have the
goodness to leave to me. Are you not my daughter, Mary, my only
child? Don't trouble yourself about such matters as these, but do as
you're bid. Now it is time for you to start, and Hayonotes will be
ready to go with you." Having so spoken, Mr Whittlestaff put her
into the carriage, and she was driven away to Little Alresford.

It then wanted a week to the Blake-cum-Forrester marriage, and the
young clergyman was beginning to mix a little serious timidity with
his usual garrulous high spirits. "Upon my word, you know I'm not
at all sure that they are going to do it right," he said with much
emphasis to Miss Lawrie. "The marriage is to be on Tuesday. She's to
go home on the Saturday. I insist upon being there on the Monday. It
would make a fellow so awfully nervous travelling on the same day.
But the other girls--and you're one of them, Miss Lawrie--are to go
into Winchester by train on Tuesday morning, under the charge of John
Gordon. If any thing were to happen to any of you, only think, where
should I be?"

"Where should we be?" said Miss Lawrie.

"It isn't your marriage, you know. But I suppose the wedding could go
on even if one of you didn't come. It would be such an awful thing
not to have it done when the Dean is coming." But Mary comforted him,
assuring him that the Halls were very punctual in all their comings
and goings when any event was in hand.

Then John Gordon came, and, to tell the truth, Mary was subjected for
the first time to the ceremony of spooning. When he walked up to the
door across from the Parsonage, Mary Lawrie took care not to be in
the way. She took herself to her own bedroom, and there remained,
with feverish, palpitating heart, till she was summoned by Miss Hall.
"You must come down and bid him welcome, you know."

"I suppose so; but--"

"Of course you must come. It must be sooner or later. He is looking
so different from what he was when he was here before. And so he
ought, when one considers all things."

"He has not got another journey before him to South Africa."

"Without having got what he came for," said Miss Hall. Then when
they went down, Mary was told that John Gordon had passed through
the house into the shrubbery, and was invited to follow him. Mary,
declaring that she would go alone, took up her hat and boldly went
after him. As