ay in an accidental meeting.

Sunday came, and Jenny dressed herself in the flowered tabby, tying her
tippet this time with blue ribbons. When she came into the kitchen
ready to go to church, her sister's eyes scanned her rather curiously.
"Why, Jenny, where's your clasp?"

"What clasp?" asked Jenny innocently. Her thoughts were elsewhere.

"What clasp!" repeated Kate, with a burst of laughter. "Why, the clasp
King Charles sent you, for sure. Have you got so many diamond clasps
you can't tell which it is?"

"Oh!--Why, Kate, I couldn't put it on."

"What for no? If a King sent me a diamond, I'd put it on, you take my
word for it!--ay, and where it'd show too."

"I'd rather not," said Jenny in a low voice. "Not for church, anyhow."

"Going to save it for your wedding-day?" Jenny felt very little
inclined for jests; the rather since she was beginning to feel extremely
doubtful if she would ever have any wedding-day at all. She felt
instinctively that a jewel such as King Charles's clasp was not fit for
her to wear. Tom would not like to see it, she well knew; he detested
anything which looked like ostentation. And, perhaps, Christ would not
like it too. Would it not interfere with the wearing of that other
ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, with which He desired His
handmaidens to adorn themselves? Jenny resolved that she would not put
on the clasp.

"No, Kate, I shouldn't like to wear it," she said quietly. "I've got it
put by safe, and you can see it whenever you have a mind: but it's best
there."

"Thou'rt right, my lass," said old Mrs Lavender.

"Well, I shouldn't like you to lose it, of course," admitted Kate.

Jenny fancied, and with a heavy heart, that Tom carefully avoided
speaking to her in the churchyard. Old Anthony and Persis had a kind
word for her, but though Tom went away in their company, carrying his
aunt's books, he never came up to speak with Jenny. It distressed her
the more because Kate said afterwards:

"Have you had words with Tom Fenton, Jenny? I asked him if he'd a
grudge against you, that he never spoke."

"What did he say?" asked Jenny quickly.

"He didn't say neither yea nor nay," answered Kate, laughing.

The afternoon brought several young people, and there was, as usual,
plenty of mirth and chatter. Jenny felt utterly out of tune for it, and
slipped out of the back door into the lane. She went slowly up, feeling
very low-spirited, and wondering what God w