ard him give the sacrament with more impressive dignity.
After the service he stood awhile at the churchyard gate, and
exchanged a word of courtesy as to the season with such of the
families of the farmers as had stayed for the Lord's supper.

"I waited at Framley for your reverence till arter six,--so I did,"
said farmer Mangle.

"I kept the road, and walked the whole way," said Mr. Crawley, "I
think I told you that I should not return to the mill. But I am not
the less obliged by your great kindness."

"Say nowt o' that," said the farmer. "No doubt I had business at the
mill,--lots to do at the mill." Nor did he think that the fib he was
telling was at all incompatible with the Holy Sacrament in which he
had just taken a part.

The Christmas dinner at the parsonage was not a repast that did much
honour to the season, but it was a better dinner than the inhabitants
of that house usually saw on the board before them. There was roast
pork and mince-pies, and a bottle of wine. As Mrs. Crawley with her
own hand put the meat upon the table, and then, as was her custom in
their house, proceeded to cut it up, she looked at husband's face to
see whether he was scrutinising the food with painful eye. It was
better that she should tell the truth at once than that she should
be made to tell it, in answer to a question. Everything on the table,
except the bread and potatoes, had come in a basket from Framley
Court. Pork had been sent instead of beef, because people in the
country, when they kill their pigs, do sometimes give each other
pork, but do not exchange joints of beef, when they slay their oxen.
All this was understood by Mrs. Crawley, but she almost wished that
beef had been sent, because beef would have attracted less attention.
He said, however, nothing to the meat; but when his wife proposed to
him that he should eat a mince-pie he resented it. "The bare food,"
said he, "is bitter enough, coming as it does; but that would choke
me." She did not press it, but eat one herself, as otherwise her girl
would have been forced also to refuse the dainty.

That evening, as soon as Jane was in bed, she resolved to ask him
some further questions. "You will have a lawyer, Josiah,--will you
not?"

"Why should I have a lawyer?"

"Because he will know what questions to ask, and how questions on the
other side should be answered."

"I have no questions to ask, and there is only one way in which
questions should be answered.