ed her expedition, and had the pleasure of
the curate's sympathy, if not his entire approval. Perhaps there was no
other being whom she so thoroughly treated as a friend, actually like a
woman friend, chiefly because he thoroughly believed in her, and was very
blind to her faults. Robert would have given worlds to have found her
_once_ what Mr. Prendergast found her _always_.

She left him to wait in the drawing-room, while she went on her mission,
but presently rushed back in a fury. Nobody cared a straw for the
catastrophe. Lolly begged her not to be so excited about a trifle, it
made her quite nervous; and the others laughed at her; Rashe pretended to
think it a fine chance to have changed 'the life of an early Christian'
for the triumphs of the stage; and Charles scouted the idea of writing to
the man's employer. 'He call Derval to account for all the tricks of his
fiddlers and singers? Much obliged!'

Mr. Prendergast decided on going to town by the next train, to make
inquiries of Derval himself, without further loss of time, and Cilly
declared that she would go with him and force the conceited professor to
attend; but the curate, who had never found any difficulty in enforcing
his own dignity, and thought it no business for a young lady, declined
her company, unless, he said, she were to spend the day with Miss
Charlecote.

'I've a great mind to go to her for good and all. Let her fall upon me
for all and sundry. It will do me good to hear a decent woman speak
again! besides, poor old soul, she will be so highly gratified, that she
will be quite meek' (and so will some one else, quoth the perverse little
heart); 'I'll put up a few things, and not delay you.'

'This is very sudden!' said the curate, wishing to keep the peace between
her and her friends, and not willing that his sunbeam should fleet 'so
like the Borealis race!' 'Will it not annoy your cousins?'

'They ought to be annoyed!'

'And are you certain that you would find Miss Charlecote in town? I
thought her stay was to be short.'

'I'm certain of nothing, but that every place is detestable.'

'What would you do if you did not find her?'

'Go on to Euston-square. Do you think I don't know my way to Hiltonbury,
or that I should not get welcome enough--ay, and too much--there?'

'Then if you are so uncertain of her movements, do you not think you had
better let me learn them before you start? She might not even be gone
home, and you w