ldn't care to have to buy many of them a month."

"Now, John, you know I've not had a new gown for nearly a year."

And then the talk took a departure over a range of topics to which I
need not drag my unoffending reader. This short conversation sufficed
to satisfy my curiosity in part as to the boy who was paying me such
constant attention; and another event which shortly happened served to
bring me into still closer acquaintance with George Reader. One day
there entered the shop a party consisting of half a dozen persons. One
of them was a young man in the dress of a clergyman, and the others I
knew well by sight as respectable and respected villagers.

"Good-morning, Mr Argent," said the curate, for the clerical gentleman
was none other; "we've come to see you on a little matter of business."

"Hope there's nothing wrong with the heating stoves in the church, sir,"
said Mr Argent, with an anxious face, "I was always against them being
used at all."

"The stoves are quite well, I believe," said the curate, smiling; "our
business is of quite a different kind. We've come to make a purchase,
in fact."

Mr Argent's face brightened considerably, partly at the assurance as to
the salubrity of the gas-stoves and partly at the prospect of business.

"What can I do for you, sir?" he said, no longer with his churchwarden's
voice, but as the Muggerbridge silversmith.

"Well, we have been asked to select a small present to be given by the
choir and congregation of our church to George Reader, who, I suppose
you know, is going next week to college."

"I have heard tell of it, sir," said Mr Argent, "and my wife and I were
only wondering the other day what was to become of the music at the
church when he's gone."

"We don't like to think of it," said one of the party. "It would want a
good one to take his place," said another.

"We shall all miss him," said the curate; "and we are anxious before he
leaves us to present him with some little token of our regard. We have
kept the thing from you, Mr Argent, as of course we should have to come
to you to procure whatever we decided on getting, so your contribution
to the gift will have to be some good advice on the matter we are still
undecided about--what to get."

"I shall be very glad to help--have you decided--er--I mean--has
anything been said--that is--about what--"

"About how much? Well, we have nearly four pounds--in fact, we might
call it four. What have y