ean--that the sooner he is married the better. You can't but
take it as a compliment, Florence, that he is so eager."

"Of course I do."

"And you should reward him. Believe me, it will be best that it should
not be delayed." Whether or no Mrs. Clavering had present in her
imagination the possibility of any further danger that might result from
Lady Ongar, I will not say, but if so she altogether failed in
communicating her idea to Florence.

"Then I must go home at once," said Florence, driven almost to bewail
the terrors of her position.

"You can write home at once and tell your mother. You can tell her all
that I say, and I am sure she will agree with me. If you wish it, I will
write a line to Mrs. Burton myself." Florence said that she would wish
it. "And we can begin, you know, to get your things ready here. People
don't take so long about all that now-a-days as they used to do." When
Mrs. Clavering had turned against her, Florence knew that she had no
hope, and surrendered, subject to the approval of the higher authorities
at Stratton. The higher authorities at Stratton approved also, of
course, and Florence found herself fixed to a day with a suddenness that
bewildered her. Immediately--almost as soon as the consent had been
extorted from her--she began to be surrounded with incipient preparation
for the event, as to which, about three weeks since, she had made up her
mind it would never come to pass.

On the second day of her arrival, in the privacy of her bed-room, Fanny
communicated to her the decision of her family in regard to Mr. Saul.
But she told the story at first as though this decision referred to the
living only--as though the rectory were to be conferred on Mr. Saul
without any burden attached to it. "He has been here so long, dear,"
said Fanny, "and understands the people so well."

"I am so delighted," said Florence.

"I am sure it is the best thing papa could do--that is, if he quite
makes up his mind to give up the parish himself."

This troubled Florence, who did not know that a baronet could hold a
living.

"I thought he must give up being a clergyman now that Sir Hugh is dead?"

"Oh dear, no." And then Fanny, who was great on ecclesiastical subjects,
explained it all. "Even though he were to be a peer, he could hold a
living if he pleased. A great many baronets are clergymen, and some of
them do hold preferments. As to papa, the doubt has been with him
whether he would wish to giv