ou so much," he said with a smile that was meant to be
amiable. He took a seat at the further end of the room and an
awkward pause followed. Finally his sister prompted him:

"You wanted to see Mrs. Rossmore about the festival," she said.

"Oh, of course, I had quite forgotten. How stupid of me. The fact
is, Mrs. Rossmore," he went on, "we are thinking of giving a
festival next week--a festival with strawberries--and our trustees
thought, in fact it occurred to me also that if you and Mr.
Rossmore would grace the occasion with your presence it would give
us an opportunity--so to speak--get better acquainted, and er--"

Another awkward pause followed during which he sought inspiration
by gazing fixedly in the fireplace. Then turning on Mrs. Rossmore
so suddenly that the poor woman nearly jumped out of her chair he
asked:

"Do you like strawberries?"

"It's very kind of you," interrupted Mrs. Rossmore, glad of the
opportunity to get a word in edgeways. "Indeed, I appreciate your
kindness most keenly but my husband and I go nowhere, nowhere at
all. You see we have met with reverses and--"

"Reverses," echoed the clerical visitor, with difficulty keeping
his seat. This was the very thing he had come to find out and here
it was actually thrown at him. He congratulated himself on his
cleverness in having inspired so much confidence and thought with
glee of his triumph when he returned with the full story to the
Lady Trustees. Simulating, therefore, the deepest sympathy he
tried to draw his hostess out:

"Dear me, how sad! You met with reverses."

Turning to his sister, who was sitting in her corner like a
petrified mummy, he added:

"Jane, do you hear? How inexpressibly sad! They have met with
reverses!"

He paused, hoping that Mrs. Rossmore would go on to explain just
what their reverses had been, but she was silent. As a gentle hint
he said softly:

"Did I interrupt you, Madam?"

"Not at all, I did not speak," she answered.

Thus baffled, he turned the whites of his eyes up to the ceiling
and said:

"When reverses come we naturally look for spiritual consolation.
My dear Mrs. Rossmore, in the name of the Unified All Souls
Baptismal Presbytery I offer you that consolation."

Mrs. Rossmore looked helplessly from one to the other embarrassed
as to what to say. Who were these strangers that intruded on her
privacy offering a consolation she did not want? Miss Deetle, as
if glad of the opportunity to joke a