d, but she could not teach her
child to scheme. As regarded the girl, it must all fall out after the
natural, pleasant, everyday fashion of such things; but Mrs. Tappitt
considered that her own natural advantages were so great that she
could make the thing fall out as she wished. When she was informed
about a fortnight after Rowan's arrival in Baslehurst that Rachel
Ray had been walking with the party from the brewery, she could not
prevent herself from saying an ill-natured word or two. "Rachel Ray
is all very well," she said, "but she is not the person whom you
should show off to a stranger as your particular friend."

"Why not, mamma?" said Cherry.

"Why not, my dear! There are reasons why not. Mrs. Ray is very well
in her way, but--"

"Her husband was a gentleman," said Martha, "and a great friend of
Mr. Comfort's."

"My dear, I have nothing to say against her," said the mother, "only
this; that she does not go among the people we know. There is Mrs.
Prime, the other daughter; her great friend is Miss Pucker. I don't
suppose you want to be very intimate with Miss Pucker." The brewer's
wife had a position in Baslehurst and wished that her daughters
should maintain it.

It will now be understood in what way Rachel had formed her
acquaintance with Luke Rowan, and I think it may certainly be
admitted that she had been guilty of no great impropriety;--unless,
indeed, she had been wrong in saying nothing of the acquaintance to
her mother. Previous to those ill-natured tidings brought home as to
the first churchyard meeting, Rachel had seen him but twice. On the
first occasion she had thought but little of it,--but little of Luke
himself or of her acquaintance with him. In simple truth the matter
had passed from her mind, and therefore she had not spoken of it.
When they met the second time, Luke had walked much of the way
home with her,--with her alone,--having joined himself to her when
the Tappitt girls went into their house as Rachel had afterwards
described to her mother. In all that she had said she had spoken
absolutely the truth; but it cannot be pleaded on her behalf that
after this second meeting with Mr. Rowan she had said nothing of him
because she had thought nothing. She had indeed thought much, but it
had seemed well to her to keep her thoughts to herself.

The Tappitt girls had by no means given up their friend because their
mother had objected to Miss Pucker; and when Rachel met them on that
Satur