isfied with it.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

25th.
You thought you knew a great deal of what was going to happen, did you
not, Cary Courtenay? Such a wise girl you were! And how little you did
know!

This evening, Esther Langridge came in, and stayed to supper. She said
Ephraim had gone to the Parsonage on business, and had promised to call
for her on his way home. He came rather later than Esther expected.
(We have only seen him twice since we returned from London, except just
meeting at church and so forth: he seemed to be always busy.) He said
he had had to see Mr Liversedge, and had been detained later than he
thought. He sat and talked to all of us for a while, but I thought his
mind seemed somewhere else. I guessed where, and thought I found myself
right whet after a time, when Father had come in, and Ambrose with him,
and they were all talking over the fire, Ephraim left them, and coming
across to my corner, asked me first thing if I had heard anything from
Annas.

I have not had a line from her, nor heard anything of her, and he looked
disappointed when I said so. He was silent for a minute, and then he
said,--

"Cary, what do you think I have been making up my mind to do?"

"I do not know, Ephraim," said I. I did not see how that could have to
do with Annas, for I believed he had made up his mind on that subject
long ago.

"Would you be very much surprised if I told you that I mean to take holy
orders?"

"Ephraim!" I was very, very much surprised. How would Annas like it?

"Yes, I thought you would be," said he. "It is no new idea to me. But
I had to get my father's consent, and smooth away two or three
difficulties, before I thought it well to mention it to any one but the
Vicar. He will give me a title. I am to be ordained, Cary, next
Trinity Sunday."

"Why, that is almost here!" cried I.

"Yes, it is almost here," he replied, with that far-away look in his
eyes which I had seen now and then.

Then Annas had been satisfied, for of course she was one of the
difficulties which had to be smoothed away.

"I shall hope to see more of my friends now," he went on, with a smile.
"I know I have seemed rather a hermit of late, while this matter has
been trembling in the balance. I hope the old friend will not be
further off because he is the curate. I should not like that."