ch did not express conviction.

Meanwhile Mr. Ambrose and Mrs. Goddard walked briskly in front; so
briskly in fact that Nellie occasionally jumped a step, as children say,
in order to keep up with them.

"What a glorious Christmas eve!" exclaimed Mrs. Goddard, as they turned a
bend in the drive and caught sight of the western sky still clear and
red. "And there is the new moon!" The slender crescent was hanging just
above the fading glow.

"Oh mamma, have you wished?" cried Nellie. "You must, you know, when you
see the new moon!"

Mrs. Goddard did not answer, but she sighed faintly and drew a little
closer to the worthy vicar as she walked. She always wished, whether
there was a new moon or not, and she always wished the same wish. Perhaps
Mr. Ambrose understood, for he was not without tact. He changed the
subject.

"How do you like our John Short?" he asked.

"Very much, I think," answered Mrs. Goddard. "He is so fresh and young."

"He is a fine fellow. I was sure you would like him. Is he at all like
what you fancied he would be?"

"Well no--not exactly. I know you told me how he looked, but I always
thought he would be rather Byronic--the poetical type, if you know what
I mean."

"He has a great deal of poetry in him," said Mr. Ambrose in a tone of
profound admiration. "He writes the best Greek verse I ever saw."

"Oh yes--I daresay," replied Mrs. Goddard smiling in the dusk. "I am sure
he must be very clever."

So they chatted quietly as they walked down the park. But the squire and
John did not make progress in their conversation, and by the time they
reached the gate they had yielded to an awkward silence. They had both
been annoyed because Mrs. Goddard had taken the vicar's arm instead of
choosing one of themselves, but the joint sense of disappointment did not
constitute a common bond of interest. Either one would have suffered
anything rather than mention Mrs. Goddard to the other in the course of
the walk. And yet Mr. Juxon might have been John's father. At the gate of
the cottage they separated. The squire said he would turn back. Mrs.
Goddard had reached her destination. John and the vicar would return to
the vicarage. John tried to linger a moment, to get a word with Mrs.
Goddard. He was so persistent that she let him follow her through the
wicket gate and then turned quickly.

"What is it?" she asked, rather suddenly, holding out her hand to say
good-bye.

"Oh, nothing," answered John. "Th