, in allusion to Miss
Rebecca's interference with the duties of the new mistress. "She'd
better not try it on with my boys," and he went back to think of Hazel
Thorne's sweet sad smile.

And all the time the object of his thoughts felt giddy.

Archibald Graves down there, when she had believed that he had forgotten
her; and the more she thought, the more agitated and indignant she grew.
At times she felt as if she must leave the church, for there, plainly
in view, sat the disturber of her peace, one whom she had put behind her
with the past; and when at last they stood up to sing the first hymn, to
her horror she found that it was the custom in the old country church
for the audience all to turn and face the organ, when Archibald Graves
stood gazing up at her, and, strive how she would, she could not help
once or twice meeting his eyes.

"It is cruel and unmanly," she thought, as she resumed her seat, feeling
half distracted by the flood of emotion that seemed to sweep away the
present.

Fortunately there was an audible "Sh! sh!" from behind the red curtains
just then; and this drew Hazel's attention to the fact that Feelier
Potts was, if not "tiddling," at all events making Ann Straggalls laugh,
just when, in a high-pitched drawl, the Reverend Henry Lambent was going
on with the service, as if he felt it a great act of condescension to
make appeals on behalf of such a lower order of beings as the
Plumtonites. What time the round smooth face of Mr William Forth Burge
was looking over the edge of his pew, where he always knelt down
standing up as Feelier Potts said, and always smelt his hat inside when
he came into church. And while this gentleman forgot all about the
prayers in his thoughtful meditation upon the face of one who he told
himself had the face of an angel, Mr Chute kept forgetting the litany,
and let the boys straggle in the responses, for he felt impelled to
glance round the front of the organ pew at the soft white forehead he
could just contrive to see.

"Those girls never behaved worse," said Miss Rebecca to herself. "If
this is to be the way they are kept in order she will never do."

Miss Rebecca Lambent felt more sore than usual, for she was at heart
aggrieved that the new schoolmistress should be so good-looking and
ladylike--matters not at all in accordance with what was right for "a
young person in her station in life;" and, to make matters worse, Jem
Chubb, who blew the bellows, let the