minister,--and
Dick Shand, the miner and shepherd.

'What will she do when he comes out?' Maria asked. Mrs.
Rewble,--Harriet,--the curate's wife, was there. Mr. Rewble, as curate,
found it convenient to make frequent visits to his father-in-law's
house. And Mrs. Posttlethwaite,--Matilda,--was with them, as Mr.
Posttlethwaite's business in the soap line caused him to live at
Pollington. And there were two unmarried sisters, Fanny and Jane. Mrs.
Rewble was by this time quite the matron, and Mrs. Posttlethwaite was
also the happy mother of children. But Maria was still Maria. Fanny
already had a string to her bow,--and Jane was expectant of many
strings.

'She ought to go back to her father and mother, of course,' said Mrs.
Rewble, indignantly.

'I know I wouldn't,' said Jane.

'You know nothing about it, miss, and you ought not to speak of such a
thing,' said the curate's wife. Jane at this made a grimace which was
intended to be seen only by her sister Fanny.

'It is very hard that two loving hearts should be divided,' said Maria.

'I never thought so much of John Caldigate as you did,' said Mrs.
Posttlethwaite. 'He seems to have been able to love a good many young
women all at the same time.'

'It's like tasting a lot of cheeses, till you get the one that suits
you,' said Jane. This offended the elder sister so grievously that she
declared she did not know what their mother was about, to allow such
liberty to the girls, and then suggested that the conversation should be
changed.

'I'm sure I did not say anything wrong,' said Jane, 'and I suppose it
is like that. A gentleman has to find out whom he likes best. And as he
liked Miss Bolton best, I think it's a thousand pities they should be
parted.'

'Ten thousand pities!' said Maria enthusiastically.

'Particularly as there is a baby,' said Jane,--upon which Mrs. Rewble
was again very angry.

'If Dick were to come home, he'd clear it all up at once,' said Mrs.
Posttlethwaite.

'Dick will never come home,' said Matilda mournfully.

'Never!' said Mrs. Rewble. 'I am afraid that he has expiated all his
indiscretions. It should make us who were born girls thankful that we
have not been subjected to the same temptations.'

'I should like to be a man all the same,' said Jane.

'You do not at all know what you are saying,' replied the monitor. 'How
little have you realized what poor Dick must have suffered! I wonder
when they are going to let us have tea. I'm