anner was altered as he made it.
He thought he knew the nature of the girl well enough to be sure
that, though she would profess no passionate love for him before
starting on such a journey, she would change her tone before she
returned. It should be no fault of his if she did not change it. Mary
had at first declined to fix any day, had talked of next year, had
declared that she would not be hurried. She had carried on the fight
even after the affair of the rubies, but she had fought in opposition
to strong and well-disciplined forces on the other side, and she had
begun to admit to herself that it might be expedient that she should
yield. The thing was to be done, and why not have it done at once?
She had not as yet yielded, but she had begun to think that she would
yield.

At such a period it was of course natural that the Squire should
be daily at the vicarage, and on this Monday morning he came down
while the minds of all his friends there were intent on the strange
information received from Mr. Quickenham. The Vicar was not by when
Mr. Gilmore was told, and he was thus easily induced to join in
the opinion that the chapel should be made to disappear. He had a
landlord's idea about land, and was thoroughly well-disposed to stop
any encroachment on the part of the Marquis.

"Lord Trowbridge must pull it down himself, and put it up again
elsewhere," said the Squire.

"But Frank says that he won't let the Marquis pull it down," said
Mrs. Fenwick, almost moved to tears by the tragedy of the occasion.

[Illustration: Mr. Quickenham's letter discussed.]

Then the Vicar joined them, and the matter was earnestly debated;--so
earnestly that, on that occasion, not a word was said as to the day
of the wedding.

CHAPTER LVI.

THE VICAR'S VENGEANCE.

No eloquence on the part of the two ladies at the vicarage, or of the
Squire, could turn Mr. Fenwick from his purpose, but he did consent
at last to go over with the Squire to Salisbury, and to consult Mr.
Chamberlaine. A proposition was made to him as to consulting the
bishop, for whom personally he always expressed a liking, and whose
office he declared that he held in the highest veneration; but he
explained that this was not a matter in which the bishop should be
invited to exercise authority.

"The bishop has nothing to do with my freehold," he said.

"But if you want an opinion," said the Squire, "why not go to a man
whose opinion will be worth havin