nts as well as
innocent as doves, and she would take care that no further occasion was
given for idle talk.

Anastasia on her return found her aunt unusually reserved and taciturn.
Miss Joliffe had determined to behave exactly as usual to Anastasia
because her niece was entirely free from fault; but she was vexed at
what the churchwarden had said, and her manner was so mysterious and
coldly dignified as to convince Anastasia that some cause for serious
annoyance had occurred. Did Anastasia remark that it was a close
morning, her aunt looked frowningly abstracted and gave no reply; did
Anastasia declare that she had not been able to get any 14
knitting-needles, they were quite out of them, her aunt said, "Oh!" in a
tone of rebuke and resignation which implied that there were far more
serious matters in the world than knitting-needles.

This dispensation lasted a full half-hour, but beyond that the kindly
old heart was quite unequal to supporting a proper hauteur. The sweet
warmth of her nature thawed the chilly exterior; she was ashamed of her
moodiness, and tried to "make up" for it to Anastasia by manifestation
of special affection. But she evaded her niece's attempts at probing
the matter, and was resolved that the girl should know nothing of Cousin
Joliffe's suggestions or even of the fact of his visit.

But if Anastasia knew nothing of these things, she was like to be
singular in her ignorance. All Cullerne knew; it was in the air. The
churchwarden had taken a few of the elders into his confidence, and
asked their advice as to the propriety of his visit of remonstrance.
The elders, male and female, heartily approved of his action, and had in
their turn taken into confidence a few of their intimate and
specially-to-be-trusted friends. Then ill-natured and tale-bearing Miss
Sharp told lying and mischief-making Mrs Flint, and lying and
mischief-making Mrs Flint talked the matter over at great length with
the Rector, who loved all kinds of gossip, especially of the
highly-spiced order. It was speedily matter of common knowledge that
Lord Blandamer was at the Hand of God (so ridiculous of a lodging-house
keeper christening a public-house Bellevue Lodge!) at _all_ hours of the
day _and_ night, and that Miss Joliffe was content to look at the
ceiling on such occasions; and worse, to go to meetings so as to leave
the field undisturbed (what intolerable hypocrisy making an excuse of
the Dorcas meetings!); that Lord