"I am here, Dorothy. Come in, Mr. Mayne. Dick is here too, and I am so
sorry mother is out."

"I might have known that scapegrace would have given me the slip!"
muttered Mr. Mayne, as he shook hands ungraciously with Nan, and then
followed her into the work-room.

Dick, who was examining the wardrobe, turned round and saluted his
father with a condescending nod:

"You were too long with the parson: I could not wait, you see. Did you
make all these dresses, Nan? You are awfully clever, you girls! They
look first-rate,--this greeny-browny-yellowish one, for example,"
pulling out a much furbelowed garment destined for Mrs. Squails.

"Oh, Dick, do please leave them alone!" and Nan authoritatively waved
him away, and closed the wardrobe.

"I was only admiring your handiwork," returned Dick, imperturbably.
"Does she not look a charming little dressmaker, father?" regarding
Nan with undisguised pleasure, as she stood in her pretty bib-apron
before them.

But Mr. Mayne only drew his heavy eyebrows together, and said,--

"Pshaw, Dick! don't chatter such folly. I want to have some talk with
Miss Nancy myself."

"All right: I have had my innings," returned naughty Dick; but he shot
a look at Nan that made her blush to her finger ends, and that was not
lost on Mr. Mayne.

"Well, now, Miss Nancy, what does all this mean?" he asked, harshly.
"Here we have run down just in a friendly way,--Dick and I,--leaving
the mother rather knocked up after her travels at Longmead, to look
you up and see how you are getting on. And now we find you have been
deceiving us all along, and keeping us in the dark, and that you are
making yourselves the talk of the place, sewing a parcel of gowns for
all the townspeople."

Mr. Mayne did not add that his son had so bothered him for the last
three weeks to run down to Hadleigh that he had acceded at last to his
request, in the hope of enjoying a little peace.

"Draw it mild!" muttered Dick, who did not much admire this opening
tirade; but Nan answered, with much dignity,--

"If people talk about us it is because of the novelty. They have never
heard of gentle-people doing this sort of work before----"

"I should think not!" wrathfully from Mr. Mayne.

"Things were so bad with us that we should have all had to separate if
Phillis had not planned this scheme; and then mother would have broken
her heart; but now we are getting on famously. Our work gives
satisfaction, we have plenty of order