The blinking, shortsighted eyes did not seem to take any notice of her
confusion. The old gentleman twitched his mouth hard, and then merely
remarked:

"It's well to be a favourite in one's parish."

"I wish it were Dad's parish!" said Gwen, following up her private
train of thought. "If Skelwick were a separate living of its own,
quite apart from North Ditton, he could do so much more. It's
fearfully hampering to be under another church that's such a long way
off. It doesn't give Dad a free hand at all."

"Yes--yes--yes; exactly so," commented the stranger, wrinkling up his
forehead into thick lines.

He was very silent after this, as if he were turning something over in
his mind, and Gwen, who began to think she had chattered too much,
walked along trying to remember what she had said. They had almost
reached the village by now; the sun was glaring on the red roofs below
them and on the white highroad which led to North Ditton.

"This is my short cut back to the Parsonage," said Gwen, stopping at a
stile; "but if you want the 'King's Arms' you must go along that
footpath to the right."

"Thank you! I shall get some lunch there, and then go on to North
Ditton. By the by, what time is your evening service on Sunday?"

"Half-past six," replied Gwen, wondering as she turned away why a
stranger who was evidently only passing through Skelwick should ask
such a question.

"Mere curiosity, I suppose," she thought. "He seems an inquisitive old
fellow."

She told her experiences to Beatrice and Winnie, but they had no more
idea than herself of the identity of the little old gentleman.

"Some tourist on a walking tour, I expect," said Beatrice. "You were
quite right to show him the way; but you really must be careful,
Gwen, and not talk so freely to chance people whom you meet. I'd
rather you didn't go on the moors quite alone. Take one of the boys
next time."

"Stumps is a far worse blabber than I am!" laughed Gwen. "He'd have
given the most intimate details of our household arrangements, and
what we were going to have for dinner to-day. Perhaps have added an
invitation!"

"Which would surely not have been accepted."

"I don't know! Such an eccentric old fellow might be capable of
anything. I shall look out for him in church to-morrow evening."

And much to Gwen's surprise he was actually there. He turned up rather
late--during the singing of the first Psalm, in fact--and left in the
middle of the hymn aft