she finished her
shopping and hurried on to Mr. Goodall's office without resolving
whether or no she would tell Rachel of the encounter. At Mr.
Goodall's she remained some little time, dining at that gentleman's
house as well as signing the deed, and asking questions about the gas
company. He had grateful recollections of kindnesses received from
Mr. Ray, and always exercised his hospitality on those rare occasions
which brought Mrs. Ray up to Exeter. As they sat at table he asked
questions about the young purchaser of the property which somewhat
perplexed Mrs. Ray. Yes, she said, she did know him. She had just
met him in the street and heard his news. Young Rowan, she told her
friend, had been at the cottage more than once, but no mention had
been made of his desire to buy these cottages. Was he well spoken of
in Baslehurst? Well;--she was so little in Baslehurst that she hardly
knew. She had heard that he had quarrelled with Mr. Tappitt, and she
believed that many people had said that he was wrong in his quarrel.
She knew nothing of his property; but certainly had heard somebody
say that he had gone away without paying his debts. It may easily
be conceived how miserable and ineffective she would be under this
cross-examination, although it was made by Mr. Goodall without any
allusion to Rachel.

"At any rate we have got our money," said Mr. Goodall; "and I suppose
that's all we care about. But I should say he's rather a harum-scarum
sort of fellow. Why he should leave his debts behind him I can't
understand, as he seems to have plenty of money."

All this made Mrs. Ray's task the more difficult. During the last
two or three weeks she had been wishing that she had not gone
to Mr. Comfort,--wishing that she had allowed Rachel to answer
Rowan's letter in any terms of warmest love that she might have
chosen,--wishing, in fact, that she had permitted the engagement
to go on. But now she began again to think that she had been right.
If this man were in truth a harum-scarum fellow was it not well
that Rachel should be quit of him,--even with any amount of present
sorrow? Thinking of this on her way back to Baslehurst she again made
up her mind that Rowan was a wolf. But she had not made up her mind
as to what she would, or what she would not tell Rachel about the
meeting, even when she reached her own door. "I will send her no
message," he had said. "As things are at present no message would be
of service." What had he me