eived,
by the looks of the servant as well as the mistress, that he was
generally disapproved of throughout the household for being half an hour
too late. As for Thomas, he was at no pains to conceal his sentiments,
but conducted himself with distant politeness towards his master,
expressing the feelings of the household with all the greater freedom
that he had been in possession of the Rectory since Mr Bury's time, and
felt himself more secure in his tenure than any incumbent, as was
natural to a man who had already outlived two of these temporary
tenants. Mr Morgan was disposed to be conciliatory when he saw the
strength of the opposite side.

"I am a little late today," said the politic Rector. "Mr Leeson was
with me, and I did not want to bring him home to dinner. It was only
on Wednesday he dined with us, and I know you don't care for chance
guests."

"I think it shows a great want of sense in Mr Leeson to think of such
a thing," said Mrs Morgan, responding by a little flush of anger to
the unlucky Curate's name. "He might understand that people like to be
by themselves now and then. I am surprised that you give in to him so
much as you do, William. Good-nature must stop somewhere, and I think
it is always best to draw a line."

"I wish it were possible for everybody to draw a line," said the
Rector, mysteriously, with a sigh. "I have heard something that has
grieved me very much to-day. I will tell you about it afterwards."
When he had said this, Mr Morgan addressed himself sadly to his
dinner, sighing over it, as if that had something to do with his
distress.

"Perhaps, ma'am," suggested Thomas, who was scarcely on speaking terms
with his master, "the Rector mayn't have heard as Mr Wodehouse has
been took very bad again, and aint expected to see out the night."

"I am very sorry," said the Rector. "Poor ladies! it will come very
hard upon them. My dear, I think you should call and ask if you can do
anything. Troubles never come singly, it is said. I am very sorry for
that poor young creature; though, perhaps, things have not gone so far
as one imagined." The Rector sighed again, and looked as though his
secret, whatever it might be, was almost too much for him. The
consequence, of course, was, that Thomas prolonged his services to the
last possibility, by way of hearing what had happened; as for Mrs
Morgan, she sat on thorns, though her sense of propriety was too great
to permit her to hurry over the dinne