terrible to Mrs. Ray that she had hardly dared to get into one of
them!

"And whom have you seen?" said Rachel.

"Seen!" said Mrs. Ray. "Who told you that I had seen anybody?"

"I suppose you saw Mr. Goodall."

"Oh yes, I saw him of course. I saw him, and the cottages are all
sold. We shall have seven pounds ten a year more than before. I'm
sure it will be a very great comfort. Seven pounds ten will buy so
many things."

"But ten pounds would buy more."

"Of course it would, my dear. And I told Mr. Goodall I wished he
could make it ten, as it would make it sound so much more regular
like; but he said he couldn't do it because the gas has gone up so
much. He could have done it if I had sixty pounds, but of course I
hadn't."

"But, mamma, whom did you see except Mr. Goodall? I know you saw
somebody, and you must tell me."

"That's nonsense, Rachel. You can't know that I saw anybody." It
may, however, be well to explain at once the cause of Mrs. Ray's
hesitation, and that this may be done in the proper course, we will
go back to her journey to Exeter. All the incidents of her day may
be told very shortly; but there was one incident in her day which
filled her with so much anxiety, and almost dismay, that it must be
narrated.

On arriving at Exeter she got into an omnibus which would have taken
her direct to Mr. Goodall's office in the Close; but she was minded
to call at a shop in the High Street, and had herself put down at the
corner of one of those passages which lead from the High Street to
the Close. She got down from the step of the vehicle, very carefully,
as is the wont with middle-aged ladies from the country, and turned
round to walk directly into the shop; but before her, on the
pavement, she saw Luke Rowan. He was standing close to her, so that
it was impossible that they should have pretended to miss seeing each
other, even had they been so minded. Any such pretence would have
been impossible to Mrs. Ray, and would have been altogether contrary
to Luke Rowan's nature. He had been coming out of the shop, and had
been arrested at once by Mrs. Ray's figure as he saw it emerging from
the door of the omnibus.

"How d'you do?" said he, coming forward with outstretched hand, and
speaking as though there was nothing between him and Mrs. Ray which
required any peculiar word or tone.

"Oh, Mr. Rowan! is this you?" said she. "Dear, dear! I'm sure I
didn't expect to see you in Exeter."

"I dare say not,