rthur's duty had been a very mild young man, and had been quite
contented that Mrs. Wilkinson should leave to him the pulpit and
the reading-desk. In all other matters he had been satisfied not to
interfere with her power, or to contradict her edicts.

"Mr. Gilliflower has behaved excellently," she said to her son, soon
after his return; "and has quite understood my position here. I
only wish we could keep him in the parish; but that, of course, is
impossible."

"I shouldn't want him at all, mother," Arthur had replied. "I am as
strong as a horse now."

"All the same; I should like to have him here," said Mrs. Wilkinson,
in a tone which was the beginning of the battle. How sweet it would
have been to her if Arthur could have gone to some good neighbouring
parish, leaving her, with Gabriel Gilliflower as her assistant,
to manage the souls of Hurst Staple! And why, as she almost asked
herself--why should she not be addressed as the Reverend Mrs.
Wilkinson?

But the battle had to be fought, and there was to be an end to these
sweet dreams. Her son had been meek enough, but he was not as meek as
Mr. Gilliflower; and now he was sharpening his arrows, and looking to
his bow, and preparing for the war.

"Is Adela at Littlebath?" he asked of one of his sisters, on the
third or fourth day after his arrival.

"Yes," said Mary. "She is with her aunt. I had a letter from her
yesterday."

"I wonder whether she would come here if you were to ask her."

"Oh, that she would," said Mary.

"I doubt it very much," said the more prudent Sophia.

Mrs. Wilkinson heard the conversation, and pondered over it. At the
moment she said nothing, pressing down her grief in her deep heart;
but that evening, in the book-room, she found Arthur alone; and then
she began.

"You were not in earnest just now about Adela, were you, Arthur?"

"Indeed I was, mother; quite in earnest."

"She has been very much away from Littlebath since her aunt came back
from Italy to make a home for her. She was with us; and with the
Harcourts, in London; and, since the break-up there, she was at
Hadley. It would not be right to Miss Gauntlet to ask her away so
soon."

"I don't think Miss Gauntlet would mind her coming here; and even if
she does--"

"And then my time is so much taken up--what with the schools, and
what with the parish visiting--"

"Adela will do the visiting with you."

"I really had rather not have her just at present; that is, unles