d the instrument critically, and pronounced it
absolutely magnificent. As we passed in at our gate the girls were
distantly visible, gardening with a zeal in cheerful contrast to their
heartsick lassitude of the morning. "There's bin another letter come
to-day," Harold explained, "and the hamper got joggled about on the
journey, and the presents worked down into the straw and all over the
place. One of 'em turned up inside the cold duck. And that's why they
weren't found at first. And Edward said, Thanks AWFULLY" I did not see
Martha again until we were all re-assembled at tea-time, when she seemed
red-eyed and strangely silent, neither scolding nor finding fault
with anything. Instead, she was very kind and thoughtful with jams and
things, feverishly pressing unwonted delicacies on us, who wanted little
pressing enough. Then suddenly, when I was busiest, she disappeared; and
Charlotte whispered me presently that she had heard her go to her room
and lock herself in. This struck me as a funny sort of proceeding.

MUTABILE SEMPER

She stood on the other side of the garden fence, and regarded me
gravely as I came down the road. Then she said, "Hi-o!" and I responded,
"Hullo!" and pulled up somewhat nervously.

To tell the truth, the encounter was not entirely unexpected on my part.
The previous Sunday I had seen her in church, and after service it had
transpired who she was, this new-comer, and what aunt she was staying
with. That morning a volunteer had been called for, to take a note to
the Parsonage, and rather to my own surprise I had found myself stepping
forward with alacrity, while the others had become suddenly absorbed in
various pursuits, or had sneaked unobtrusively out of view. Certainly
I had not yet formed any deliberate plan of action; yet I suppose I
recollected that the road to the Parsonage led past her aunt's garden.

She began the conversation, while I hopped backwards and forwards over
the ditch, feigning a careless ease.

"Saw you in church on Sunday," she said; "only you looked different
then. All dressed up, and your hair quite smooth, and brushed up at the
sides, and oh, so shiny! What do they put on it to make it shine like
that? Don't you hate having your hair brushed?" she ran on, without
waiting for an answer. "How your boots squeaked when you came down the
aisle! When mine squeak, I walk in all the puddles till they stop. Think
I'll get over the fence."

This she proceeded to do in