Martha.

"What is it, Martha?"

"It's a young gentleman, mam. I rather think, mam, it's the young
gentleman that's stopping at the vicarage."

"Oh--ask him to come in."

"In 'ere, mam?"

"No--into the sitting-room," said Mrs. Goddard, who was busy in the
dining-room.

John was accordingly ushered in and told to wait a minute; which he did,
surveying with surprise the beautiful pictures, the rich looking
furniture and the valuable objects that lay about upon the tables. He
experienced a thrill of pleasure, for he felt sure that Mrs. Goddard
possessed another qualification which he had unconsciously attributed to
her--that of being accustomed to a certain kind of luxury, which in
John's mind was mysteriously connected with his romance. It is one of the
most undefinable of the many indefinite feelings to which young men in
love are subject, especially young men who have been, or are, very poor.
They like to connect ideas of wealth and comfort, even of a luxurious
existence, with the object of their affections. They desire the world of
love to be new to them, and in order to be wholly new in their
experience, it must be rich. The feeling is not so wholly unworthy as it
might seem; they instinctively place their love upon a pedestal and
require its surroundings to be of a better kind than such as they have
been accustomed to in their own lives. King Cophetua, being a king, could
afford to love the beggar maid, and a very old song sings of a "lady who
loved a swine," but the names of the poor young men who have loved above
their fortune and station are innumerable as the swallows in spring. John
saw that Mrs. Goddard was much richer than he had ever been, and without
the smallest second thought was pleased. In a few moments she entered the
room. John had his speech ready.

"I thought, if you were going to skate, I would call and ask leave to go
with you," he said glibly, as she gave him her hand.

"Oh--thanks. But is not it rather early?"

"It is twenty minutes past ten," said John, looking at the clock.

"Well, let us get warm before starting," said Mrs. Goddard, sitting down
by the fire. "It is so cold this morning."

John thought she was lovely to look at as she sat there, warming her
hands and shielding her face from the flame with them at the same time.
She looked at him and smiled pleasantly, but said nothing. She was still
a little surprised to see him and wondered whether he himself had
anything to say.