o he
had settled nothing. She must stay in Trotter's Buildings for another
week or so. He had been so busy, in consequence of the time of the
year, preparing for Easter and the like, that he had not been able
to look about him. He had a plan; but would say nothing about it till
he had seen whether it could be carried out. When Carry murmured
something about the cost of her living the Vicar boldly declared that
she need not fret herself about that, as he had money of hers in
hand. He would some day explain all about that, but not now. Then he
interrogated Mrs. Stiggs as to Carry's life. Mrs. Stiggs expressed
her belief that Carry wouldn't stand it much longer. The hours had
been inexpressibly long, and she had declared more than once that the
best thing she could do was to go out and kill herself. Nevertheless,
Mrs. Stiggs's report as to her conduct was favourable. Of Sam
Brattle, the Vicar, though he inquired, could learn nothing. Carry
declared that she had not heard from him since he left her all
bruised and bleeding after his fight at the Three Honest Men.

The Vicar had told Carry Brattle that he had a plan,--but, in truth,
he had no plan. He had an idea that he might overcome the miller by
taking his daughter straight into his house, and placing the two face
to face together; but it was one in which he himself put so little
trust, that he could form no plan out of it. In the first place,
would he be justified in taking such a step? Mrs. George Brattle
had told him that people knew what was good for them without being
dictated to by clergymen; and the rebuke had come home to him.
He was the last man in the world to adopt a system of sacerdotal
interference. "I could do it so much better if I was not a
clergyman," he would say to himself. And then, if old Brattle chose
to turn his daughter out of the house, on such provocation as the
daughter had given him, what was that to him, Fenwick, whether priest
or layman? The old man knew what he was about, and had shown his
determination very vigorously.

"I'll try the ironmonger at Warminster," he said, to his wife.

"I'm afraid it will be of no use."

"I don't think it will. Ironmongers are probably harder than millers
or farmers,--and farmers are very hard. That fellow, Jay, would not
even consent to be bail for Sam Brattle. But something must be done."

"She should be put into a reformatory."

"It would be too late now. That should have been done at once. At any