I hear."

"Does he. I wonder who goes to it," said Mrs. Powle.

"I don't know," said the squire; "but I mean to send Alfred."

"My dear Mr. Powle! to such a school as that? Nobody can go to it but
some of the farmers' children around--there is no one else."

"It won't hurt him, for a little while," said the squire. "I like the
master, and that's of more importance than the children. Don't you
worry."

"My dear Mr. Powle! But I never heard of such a thing in my life. I do
not believe Dr. Cairnes will like it at all. He will think it very
strange, your sending your boy to a man that is not a Churchman, and is
not anything, that anybody knows of."

"Dr. Cairnes be hanged!" said the squire,--"and mind his own affairs.
He wouldn't want me to send Alfred to _him_."

"My dear Mrs. Powle," said Miss Broadus, "I can tell you this for your
comfort--there are two sons of Mr. Churchill, the Independent minister
of Eastcombe--that come over to him; besides one or two more that are
quite respectable."

"Why does not Mr. Churchill send his boys to school it Eastcombe?"

"O well, it doesn't suit him, I suppose; and like goes to like, you
know, my dear."

"That is what I think," said Mrs. Powle, looking at her husband,--"and
I wonder Mr. Powle does not think so too."

"If you mean me," said the squire, "I am not 'like' anybody--that I can
tell you. A good schoolmaster is a good schoolmaster--I don't care what
else he calls himself."

"And Mr. Rhys is a good schoolmaster, I have no doubt," said Miss
Broadus.

"I know what he is," said Julia; "he is a nice man, I like him."

"I saw he kept you quiet," said Eleanor. "How did he manage it?"

"He didn't manage it. He told me about things," said Julia; "and he got
flowers for me, and told me about ferns. You never saw such lovely
ferns as we found; and you would not know where to look for them,
either. I never saw such a nice man as Mr. Rhys in my life."

"There, my dear," said her mother, "do not encourage Julia in talking.
She is always too ready."

"I am going to walk with him again, to get flowers," said the child.

"I shall invite him to the Lodge," said the squire. "He is a very
sensible man, and knows what he is about."

"Do you know anything more about him, Mr. Powle?"

"He does more than teach three or four boys," said Miss Broadus. "He
serves a little Dissenting Chapel of some sort, over at Lily Vale."

"Why does he not live there then?" said Mrs. Powle. "L