ad once presented to Malone; but that
personage evinced such open scorn of the offering, she had never
ventured to renew it. To Donne she always served the treat, and was
happy to see his approbation of it proved beyond a doubt by the fact of
his usually eating two pieces of cake, and putting a third in his
pocket.

Indefatigable in her exertions where good was to be done, Miss Ainley
would immediately have set out on a walk of ten miles round to the three
rectors, in order to show her plan, and humbly solicit their approval;
but Miss Keeldar interdicted this, and proposed, as an amendment, to
collect the clergy in a small select reunion that evening at Fieldhead.
Miss Ainley was to meet them, and the plan was to be discussed in full
privy council.

Shirley managed to get the senior priesthood together accordingly, and
before the old maid's arrival, she had, further, talked all the
gentlemen into the most charming mood imaginable. She herself had taken
in hand Dr. Boultby and Mr. Helstone. The first was a stubborn old
Welshman, hot, opinionated, and obstinate, but withal a man who did a
great deal of good, though not without making some noise about it. The
latter we know. She had rather a friendly feeling for both, especially
for old Helstone; and it cost her no trouble to be quite delightful to
them. She took them round the garden; she gathered them flowers; she was
like a kind daughter to them. Mr. Hall she left to Caroline--or rather,
it was to Caroline's care Mr. Hall consigned himself.

He generally sought Caroline in every party where she and he happened to
be. He was not in general a lady's man, though all ladies liked him;
something of a book-worm he was, near-sighted, spectacled, now and then
abstracted. To old ladies he was kind as a son. To men of every
occupation and grade he was acceptable. The truth, simplicity, frankness
of his manners, the nobleness of his integrity, the reality and
elevation of his piety, won him friends in every grade. His poor clerk
and sexton delighted in him; the noble patron of his living esteemed him
highly. It was only with young, handsome, fashionable, and stylish
ladies he felt a little shy. Being himself a plain man--plain in aspect,
plain in manners, plain in speech--he seemed to fear their dash,
elegance, and airs. But Miss Helstone had neither dash nor airs, and her
native elegance was of a very quiet order--quiet as the beauty of a
ground-loving hedge-flower. He was a f