and speeches were
made with much volubility. On such an occasion the rector was a great
man, and Harry also shone in conspicuous rivalry with his father. But
Mr. Saul's spirit was not so well tuned to the occasion as that of the
rector or his son, and when he got upon his legs, and mournfully
expressed a hope that his friend Mm Fielding might be enabled to bear
the trials of this life with fortitude, it was felt by them all that the
speaking had better be brought to an end.

"You shouldn't laugh at him, Harry," Fanny said to her brother
afterward, almost seriously. "One man can do one thing and one another.
You can make a speech better than he can, but I don't think you could
preach so good a sermon."

"I declare I think you're getting fond of him, after all," said Harry.
Upon hearing this Fanny turned away with a look of great offence. "No
one but a brother," said she, "would say such a thing as that to me,
because I don't like to hear the poor man ridiculed without cause." That
evening, when they were alone, Fanny told Florence the whole story about
Mr. Saul. "I tell you, you know, because you're like one of ourselves
now. It has never been mentioned to any one out of the family."

Florence declared that the story would be sacred with her.

"I'm sure of that, dear, and therefore I like you to know it. Of course
such a thing was quite out of the question. The poor fellow has no means
at all--literally, none. And then independently of that--"

"I don't think I should ever bring myself to think of that as the first
thing," said Florence.

"No, nor would I. If I really were attached to a man, I think I would
tell him so, and agree to wait, either with hope or without it."

"Just so, Fanny."

"But there was nothing of that kind; and, indeed, he's the sort of man
that no girl would think of being in love with--isn't he? You see he
will hardly take the trouble to dress himself decently."

"I have only seen him at a wedding, you know."

"And for him he was quite bright. But you will see plenty of him if you
will go to the schools with me. And indeed he comes here a great deal,
quite as much as he did before that happened. He is so good, Florence!"

"Poor man!"

"I can't in the least make out from his manner whether he has given up
thinking about it. I suppose he has. Indeed, of course he has, because
he must know that it would be of no sort of use. But he is one of those
men of whom you can never say whether th