not even hold her
something better than his dog, a little dearer than his horse."

"Ow, now, I think Draupadee died before him. Still, it is a strange fact
though that some people do love animals better than human beings."

"D'ye ken why?" asked the Squire, with a glance at his niece. "It's
because they're no as exacting and fashious as beass."

"Well, there's a lesson for you, Fanny. Good-night. I must gow to my
sermon and the hymns." So Mr. Perrowne departed, and the mourners
returned to the house.

On Sunday it rained; nevertheless all went to their respective churches,
except the Carruthers children, whom Tryphena kept in order, and the
colonel, who sat with Wilkinson. Both clergymen preached impressively
with reference to the events of the past week, and, at the close of the
services, they both repaired to Bridesdale for dinner. In the afternoon
they rode to their respective stations, but the Squire stayed at home to
teach the children and read to them, while they devoured the contents of
the lawyer's elaborate boxes. Tryphosa and Timotheus had to do their
singing in the kitchen, in which they were joined by Tryphena and
Maguffin. The latter had a very soft rich voice, and made a great
addition to the musical performance. The colonel smoked an after dinner
cigar, and Mr. Terry a pipe, on a dry part of the verandah. The young
ladies overhauled the entire collection of literature sent to Miss
Carmichael and to Wilkinson, and read a good many things that were not
for Sunday. As to the three matrons, it is nobody's business what they
did with their afternoon. Mr. Perrowne came back to his Fanny in the
evening, and Mr. Errol, to have "a crack" with Mrs. Carmichael. Monday
was fair enough to permit of a game of golf between the parsons, with
the colonel and the veteran for spectators. Miss Halbert went home in
the evening, and so, except for the wounded dominie upstairs and the
colonel, things went on in the usual jog-trot way, for Miss Du Plessis
had been at Bridesdale before. Letters and papers came from Coristine to
the bedridden dominie, and another package for Marjorie, before Saturday
night, but none for anybody else, for the reason that Miss Du Plessis
had written him simply at Wilkinson's dictation, and Mrs. Carruthers and
Miss Carmichael had not written at all. In her round of household duties
and the care of a young family, the former had forgotten all about her
letter, and the latter did not know what to sa