ral
about many things. It was a sort of battery that Diana had to face, and
sometimes a masked battery; but it was impossible to tell whether a
shot hit.

"What I want to know," said Mrs. Boddington, "is, where the minister
and you made it up, Di. You were awful sly about it!"

"Ain't that so?" chimed in Mrs. Carpenter. "I never had no notion o'
what was goin' on--not the smallest idee; and I was jest a sayin' one
day to Miss Gunn, or somebody--I declare I don't know now who 'twas, I
was so dumbfounded when the news come, it took all my memory away;--but
I was jes' a sayin' to somebody, and I remember it because I'd jes'
been after dandelion greens and couldn't find none; they was jest about
past by then, and bitter; and we was a settin' with our empty baskets;
and I was jes' tellin' somebody, I don't know who 'twas, who I thought
would make a good wife for the minister; when up comes Mrs. Starling's
Josiah and reaches me the invitation. 'There!' says I; 'if he ain't a
goin' to have Diana Starling!' I was beat."

"I daresay you could have fitted him just as well," remarked Mrs.
Starling.

"Wall, I don't know. I was thinkin',--but I guess it's as well not to
say now what I was thinkin'."

"That's so!" assented Miss Barry. "I don't believe he thinks nobody
could ha' chosen for him no better than he has chosen for himself."

"Men never do know what is good for them," Mrs. Salter remarked, but
not ill-naturedly; on the contrary, there was a gleam of fun in her
face.

"I'm thankful, anyway, he hain't done worse," said another lady. "I
used to be afraid he would go and get himself hitched to a fly-away."

"Euphemie Knowlton?" said Mrs. Salter. "Yes, I used to wonder if we
shouldn't get our minister's wife from Elmfield. It looked likely at
one time."

"Those two wouldn't ha' pulled well together, ne--ver," said another.

"I should like to know how he and Di's goin' to pull together?" said
Mrs. Flandin acidly. "He goin' one way, and she another."

"Do you think so, Mrs. Flandin?" asked the lady thus in a very
uncomplimentary manner referred to.

"Wall--ain't it true?" said Mrs. Flandin judicially.

"I do not think it is true."

"Wall, I'm glad to hear it, I'm sure," said the other; "but there's a
word in the Scriptur' about two walking together when they ain't
agreed."

"Mr. Masters and I are agreed," said Diana, while her lips parted in a
very slight smile, and a lovely tinge of rose-colour came over her