young
ladies of Earlsfield and Staplegrove are always on the look-out for
him."

"You would not dare to say that if Elizabeth were in the room," but
Dinah spoke quite innocently and had no arriere pensee.

"I know that Betty monopolises him to any extent," retorted Cedric,
"and it is a shame when that poor little Tina--"

Then Dinah quite flushed up and said quickly, "Hush, how can you be so
silly, Cedric. Tina is a perfect baby. Who cares what a foolish little
flirting thing says about Elizabeth! You ought not to repeat such
speeches."

"There is always so much gossip in a village," observed Malcolm, with a
laudable intention of casting oil on the troubled waters, for he saw
that Dinah was really vexed at Cedric's careless speech; "and an
unmarried curate is always rather an attraction to some genus of young
ladies."

"Mr. Carlyon never encouraged them," returned Dinah quietly. "The fact
is, Mr. Herrick, Tina Ross is rather a mischievous little person. She
is very pretty and very much spoilt, and she cares far too much for
admiration. My sister used to be very fond of her--she was quite a
favourite at one time; but the other day she owned that she was greatly
disappointed in her, and that she was afraid Tina was rather an empty
headed little thing."

"Oh yes, we understand that, don't we, Betty?" retorted Cedric, nodding
at Elizabeth knowingly as she entered the room. "Tina is in your black
books now." But Elizabeth received this with perfect serenity.

"Oh, she is an amusing child," she returned carelessly, "but she makes
a very common mistake. She thinks a pretty face and a flippant tongue
and a childish manner are perfectly irresistible, but in her study of
mankind she is certainly an unlessoned girl."

"I think old David admires her," observed Cedric casually. He spoke in
such a matter-of-fact way that Elizabeth was quite taken in.

"To be sure he admires her," she said seriously. "How can he help it?
Even Mr. Herrick--who, I have been told, is really a severe critic on
female beauty--will admire her too when he sees her on Monday. You
shall have an introduction," with a mischievous look. "We will not
allow Mr. Carlyon to monopolise her." Here they both stared at her.
"Tina is an old friend of his. Now then, Cedric lad, if you have
finished your breakfast, I want you in the morning-room."

"One moment, please," and Malcolm barred her way. "I believe I am to
drive you over to Earlsfield this afternoon."