"views" were, nobody could divine
any more than they could before his arrival. He made no innovations
whatever; but he did not pursue Mr Bury's Evangelical ways, and never
preached a sermon or a word more than was absolutely necessary. When
zealous Churchmen discussed the progress of Dissent, the Rector scarcely
looked interested; and nobody could move him to express an opinion
concerning all that lovely upholstery with which Mr Wentworth had
decorated St Roque's. People asked in vain, what was he? He was neither
High nor Low, enlightened nor narrow-minded; he was a Fellow of All-Souls.

"But now tell me, my dear," said old Mrs Proctor, "who's Mr Wodehouse?"

With despairing calmness, the Rector approached his voice to her ear.
"He's a churchwarden!" cried the unfortunate man, in a shrill whisper.

"He's what?--you forget I don't hear very well. I'm a great deal deafer,
Morley, my dear, than I was the last time you were in Devonshire. What
did you say Mr Wodehouse was?"

"He's an ass!" exclaimed the baited Rector.

Mrs Proctor nodded her head with a great many little satisfied assenting
nods.

"Exactly my own opinion, my dear. What I like in your manner of
expressing yourself, Morley, is its conciseness," said the laughing old
lady. "Just so--exactly what I imagined; but being an ass, you know,
doesn't account for him coming here so often. What is he besides, my
dear?"

The Rector made spasmodic gestures towards the door, to the great
amusement of his lively mother; and then produced, with much confusion
and after a long search, his pocketbook, on a leaf of paper in which he
wrote--loudly, in big characters--"He's a churchwarden--they'll hear in
the kitchen."

"He's a churchwarden! And what if they do hear in the kitchen?" cried
the old lady, greatly amused; "it isn't a sin. Well, now, let me hear:
has he a family, Morley?"

Again Mr Proctor showed a little discomposure. After a troubled look at
the door, and pause, as if he meditated a remonstrance, he changed his
mind, and answered, "Two daughters!" shouting sepulchrally into his
mother's ear.

"Oh so!" cried the old lady--"_two daughters_--so, so--that explains it
all at once. I know now why he comes to the Rectory so often. And, I
declare, I never thought of it before. Why, you're always there!--so,
so--and he's got _two daughters_, has he? To be sure; now I understand
it all."

The Rector looked helpless and puzzled. It was difficult to take
the ini