me." Mrs. Baker was the housekeeper at the
Baslehurst rectory, and had been so for the last thirty years. "She
learned it at Drabbit's in the High Street, where Mrs. Prime had been
living since she left her mother's cottage."

"If that's true, Comfort," said the doctor, "I congratulate you on
your parishioner."

"Mrs. Prime is no parishioner of mine," said the vicar of Cawston.
"If it's true, I'm very sorry for her mother,--very sorry."

"I don't believe a word of it," said Mrs. Cornbury.

"Poor, wretched, unfortunate woman!" said the doctor. "Her little bit
of money is all in her own hands; is it not?"

"I believe it is," said Mr. Comfort.

"Ah, yes; I dare say it's true," said the vicar. "She's been running
after him ever since he's been here. I don't doubt it's true. Poor
creature!--poor creature! Poor thing!" And the doctor absolutely
sighed as he thought of the misery in store for Mr. Prong's future
bride. "It's an ill wind that blows nobody any good," he said after
a while. "He'll go off, no doubt, when he has got the money in his
hand, and we shall be rid of him. Poor thing;--poor thing!"

Before the evening was over Mrs. Cornbury and her father had again
discussed the question of Rachel's possible engagement with Luke
Rowan. Mr. Comfort had declared his conviction that it would be
dangerous to encourage any such hopes; whereas his daughter protested
that she would not see Rachel thrown over if she could help it.
"Don't condemn him yet, papa," she said.

"I don't condemn him at all, my dear; but I hardly think we shall
see him back at Baslehurst. And he shouldn't have gone away without
paying his debts, Patty!"

CHAPTER IV.

MR. COMFORT CALLS AT THE COTTAGE.

Mrs. Ray, in her trouble occasioned by Luke's letter, had walked up
to Mr. Comfort's house, but had not found him at home. Therefore
she had written to him, in his own study, a few very simple words,
telling the matter on which she wanted his advice. Almost any other
woman would have half hidden her real meaning under a cloud of
ambiguous words; but with her there was no question of hiding
anything from her clergyman. "Rachel has had a letter from young Mr.
Rowan," she said, "and I have begged her not to answer it till I have
shown it to you." So Mr. Comfort sent word down to Bragg's End that
he would call at the cottage, and fixed an hour for his coming. This
task was to be accomplished by him on the morning after Dr. Harford's
dinner