of all this dismay, Edward came over from Woodchester for a
day or two. He had been told of the engagement, in a letter from Maggie
herself; but if was too sacred a subject for her to enlarge upon to him;
and Mrs. Browne was no letter writer. So this was his first greeting to
Maggie; after kissing her:

"Well, Sancho, you've done famously for yourself. As soon as I got your
letter I said to Harry Bish--'Still waters run deep; here's my little
sister Maggie, as quiet a creature as ever lived, has managed to catch
young Buxton, who has five thousand a-year if he's a penny.' Don't go so
red, Maggie. Harry was sure to hear of if soon from some one, and I see no
use in keeping it secret, for it gives consequence to us all."

"Mr. Buxton is quite put out about it," said Mrs. Brown, querulously; "and
I'm sure he need not be, for he's enough of money, if that's what he wants;
and Maggie's father was a clergyman, and I've seen 'yeoman,' with my own
eyes, on old Mr. Buxton's (Mr. Lawrence's father's) carts; and a clergyman
is above a yeoman any day. But if Maggie had had any thought for other
people, she'd never have gone and engaged herself, when she might have been
sure it would give offence. We are never asked down to dinner now. I've
never broken bread there since last Christmas."

"Whew!" said Edward to this. It was a disappointed whistle; but he soon
cheered up. "I thought I could have lent a hand in screwing old Buxton up
about the settlements; but I see it's not come to that yet. Still I'll go
and see the old gentleman. I'm a bit of a favorite of his, and I doubt I
can turn him round."

"Pray, Edward, don't go," said Maggie. "Frank and I are content to wait;
and I'm sure we would rather not have any one speak to Mr. Buxton, upon a
subject which evidently gives him so much pain; please, Edward, don't!"

"Well, well. Only I must go about this property of his. Besides, I don't
mean to get into disgrace; so I shan't seem to know anything about it,
if it would make him angry. I want to keep on good terms, because of the
agency. So, perhaps, I shall shake my head, and think it great presumption
in you, Maggie, to have thought of becoming his daughter-in-law. If I can
do you no good, I may as well do myself some."

"I hope you won't mention me at all," she replied.

One comfort (and almost the only one arising from Edward's visit) was, that
she could now often be spared to go up to the thorn-tree, and calm down her
anxiet