y was among the ignorant in
this matter, and she groaned inwardly when she saw her child's
confusion.

"Oh, Rachel, is it true?" she said.

"Is what true, mamma? It is true that Mr. Rowan spoke to me in the
churchyard, though I did not know that Dorothea was acting as a spy
on me."

"Rachel, Rachel!" said the mother.

"It is very necessary that some one should act the spy on you," said
the sister. "A spy, indeed! You think to anger me by using such a
word, but I will not be angered by any words. I went there to look
after you, fearing that there was occasion,--fearing it, but hardly
thinking it. Now we know that there was occasion."

"There was no occasion," said Rachel, looking into her sister's face
with eyes of which the incipient strength was becoming manifest.
"There was no occasion. Oh, mamma, you do not think there was an
occasion for watching me?"

"Why did you say that that young man was at Exeter?" asked Mrs.
Prime.

"Because he had told me that he would be there;--he had told us all
so, as we were walking together. He came to-day instead of coming
to-morrow. What would you say if I questioned you in that way about
your friends?" Then, when the words had passed from her lips, she
remembered that she should not have called Mr. Rowan her friend. She
had never called him so, in thinking of him, to herself. She had
never admitted that she had any regard for him. She had acknowledged
to herself that it would be very dangerous to entertain friendship
for such as he.

"Friend, Rachel!" said Mrs. Prime. "If you look for such friendship
as that, who can say what will come to you?"

"I haven't looked for it. I haven't looked for anything. People do
get to know each other without any looking, and they can't help it."

Then Mrs. Prime took off her bonnet and her shawl, and Rachel laid
down her hat and her little light summer cloak; but it must not be
supposed that the war was suspended during these operations. Mrs.
Prime was aware that a great deal more must be said, but she was very
anxious that her mother should say it. Rachel also knew that much
more would be said, and she was by no means anxious that the subject
should be dropped, if only she could talk her mother over to her
side.

"If mother thinks it right," exclaimed Mrs. Prime, "that you should
be standing alone with a young man after nightfall in the churchyard,
then I have done. In that case I will say no more. But I must tell
her, and I must t