o, church was up-hill work this morning--in a little seat by
herself. At the other pews one glance a piece satisfies me, but, having
looked at _her_ once, I look again. I could not tell you _why_ I do it.
There is nothing very remarkable about her in the matter of either youth
or beauty, and yet I look.

The service is ended at length, but eagerly as I long for the fresh air,
we are--whether to mark our own dignity, or to avoid further scrutiny on
the part of our fellow-worshipers--almost the last to issue from the
church. At the porch we find Mr. Musgrave waiting. A sort of _mauvaise
honte_ and a guilty conscience combine to disable me from promptly
introducing him to my people, and before I recover my presence of mind,
Algy has walked on with Barbara, and I am left to follow with Frank.

He does not seem in one of his most sunshiny humors, but perhaps the
long morning service, so trying in its present arrangement of lengthy
prayers, praises, and preaching, to a restless and irritable temper, is
to blame for that.

"I suppose," he says, speaking rather stiffly, "that I must congratulate
you on the arrival of the first detachment."

"First detachment of what?"

"Of your family. I understood you to say that there were to be _relays_
of them during all Sir Roger's absence."

"It is to be hoped so, I am sure," I say, devoutly; "especially" (looking
up at him with mock reproach) "considering the way in which my friends
neglect me. You never came, after all! No!" (seeing the utter
unsmilingness of his expression, and speaking hastily), "I am not
serious; I am only joking! No doubt you heard that they had come, and
thought that you would be in the way. But, indeed you would not. We had
no secrets to talk; we should not have minded you a bit."

"I _did_ hear that they had arrived," he answers, still speaking
ungraciously, "but even if I had not, I should not have come!"

I look up in his face, and laugh.

"You _forgot_? Ah, I told you you would!"

"I did _not_ forget."

Again I look up at him, this time in honest astonishment, awaiting the
solution of his enigma.

"There is no particular use in making one's self _cheap_, is there?" he
says, with a bitter little laugh. "What is the use of going to a place
where you are told that _any one else_ will do as well?"

A pause. I walk along in silent wonderment. So he actually was happy
again! We have left the church-yard. We are in the road, between the
dusty quicks o