us face of Mr. Gresley. Dick was clapped continuously
as he descended the platform and slowly left the room, feeling in his
pockets for his tobacco-pouch. A squad of young men creaked out after
him, and others followed by twos and threes, so that the mellifluous
voice of Mr. Pratt was comparatively lost, who, disregarding his
position as chairman, now rose to pour oil--of which, in manner alone,
he had always a large supply--on the troubled waters. Mr. Pratt had felt
a difficulty in interrupting a member of a county family, which with the
eye of faith he plainly perceived Dick to be, and at the same time a
guest of "Newhaven's." The Pratts experienced in the rare moments of
their intercourse with the Newhavens some of that sublime awe, that
subdued rapture, which others experience in cathedrals. Mr. Pratt had
also taken a momentary pleasure in the defeat of Mr. Gresley, who did
not pay him the deference which he considered due to him and his "seat."
Mr. Pratt always expected that the Vicar should, by reason of his small
income, take the position of a sort of upper servant of the Squire; and
he had seen so many instances of this happy state of things that he was
perpetually nettled by Mr. Gresley's "independent" attitude; while Mr.
Gresley was equally irritated by "the impatience of clerical control"
and shepherding which Mr. Pratt, his largest and woolliest sheep, too
frequently evinced.

As the chairman benignly expressed his approval of both views, and toned
down each to meet the other, the attention of the audience wandered to
the occasional laughs and cheers which came from the school play-ground.
And when, a few minutes later, Rachel emerged with the stream, she saw
Dick standing under the solitary lamp-post speaking earnestly to a
little crowd of youths and men. The laughter had ceased. Their
crestfallen appearance spoke for itself.

"Well, good-night, lads," said Dick, cordially, raising his cap to them,
and he rejoined Rachel and Hester at the gate.

When Dick and Rachel had departed on their bicycles, and when the
deputation, after a frugal supper, had retired to rest, and when the
drawing-room door was shut, then, and not till then, did Mr. Gresley
give vent to his feelings.

"And he would not stop," he repeated over and over again almost in
hysterics, when the total-abstinence hose of his wrath had been turned
on Dick until every reservoir of abuse was exhausted. "I signed to him;
I spoke to him. You saw