there was a girl who whenever she spoke let fall pearls
and diamonds from her lips; whenever those women open their mouths I
expect icicles and daggers to drop out."

"They are not so bad as that," Mabel laughed. "I generally get on with
them very well, and they are very kind in the parish; and altogether
they are really not bad."

"Then their looks belie them horribly," Ralph said. "I suppose they
don't like me; and that would be all well enough if I had done
anything to offend them, but it was just as bad the first day I came.
I am sure Mr. Penfold does not like it. I can see him fidget on his
chair; and he talks away with me pretty well all the time we are at
table, so as to make it less awkward, I suppose. Well, I am stopping
with him, and not with them, that's one thing; and it doesn't make
much difference to me if they do choose to be disagreeable. I like him
immensely. He is wonderfully kind; but it would be awfully stupid work
if it weren't for you, Mabel. I don't think I could stand it if it
were not for our rides together."

The young people had indeed got on capitally from the first. Every day
they took long rides together, generally alone, although sometimes Mr.
Penfold rode with them. Ralph had already confided to the latter, upon
his asking him how he liked Mabel, that she was the jolliest girl that
he had ever met.

"She has no nonsensical girl's ways about her, Mr. Penfold; but is
almost as good as a boy to be with. The girls I have seen before have
been quite different from that. Some of them always giggle when you
speak to them, others have not got a word to say for themselves; and
it is awfully hard work talking to them even for a single dance.
Still, I like them better than the giggling ones."

"You see, Ralph, girls brought up in a town are naturally different to
one like Mabel. They go to school, and are taught to sit upright and
to behave discreetly, and to be general unnatural. Mabel has been
brought up at home and allowed to do as she liked, and she has
consequently grown up what nature intended her to be. Perhaps some day
all girls will be allowed the same chance of being natural that boys
have, and backboards and other contrivances for stiffening them and
turning them into little wooden figures will be unknown. It will be a
good thing, in my opinion, when that time arrives."

Ralph was often down at the Rectory, where he was always made welcome,
Mr. Withers and his wife being anxious to