army
man about thirty. He is in riding-clothes. Exit_ CRIDDLE. _At_
CAPTAIN WENTWORTH'S _entrance_ RENIE _shows keen interest, throws
him a secret glance as he goes to shake hands with_ DOLLY.

_Dolly._ Ah, Lu! What, over again! Happy New Year once more!

_Lucas._ Same to you. [_Shaking hands._] Happy New Year, everybody! Good
afternoon, Harry!

[_Nodding to_ HARRY.

_Harry._ Ditto, Lu.

_Lucas._ Ah, Uncle Matt! Happy New Year!

[_Shaking hands._

_Matt._ Happy New Year, Lucas!

_Lucas._ Good afternoon, Mrs. Sturgess.

[_Shaking hands with_ RENIE.

_Renie._ Good afternoon.

_Lucas._ None the worse for your outing last night, I hope?

_Renie._ Oh no, I'm sure Mr. Pilcher's sermon ought to make us all very
much better.

_Dolly._ May I introduce you to Professor Sturgess--my cousin Captain
Wentworth.

_Lucas._ How d'ye do?

_Prof._ How d'ye do?

_Matt._ So you came over to the Watch-night Service, I hear?

_Lucas._ Yes! I'd nothing much better to do, and Dolly was cracking up
this new parson of yours, so I thought I'd jog over and sample him.

_Matt._ A dozen miles over here at midnight; an hour's service in a cold
church; and a dozen miles back to Aldershot, in the sleet and snow. I
hope the sermon thoroughly braced you up!

_Lucas._ It did. It made me feel just as good as I knew how to be.

_Matt._ Here's another score for Pilcher!

_Dolly._ Dad, I think it's shocking bad taste of you to keep on sneering
at Mr. Pilcher!

_Matt._ I'm not sneering. I'm only curious to follow up this wonderful
sermon, and trace its results on all of you.

_Dolly._ Well, you can see its results. [LUCAS _has got near to_ RENIE,
_stands with his back to her, takes out a letter from his coat-tail
pocket, holds it out for her to take. She takes it, pops it in her
novel, and goes on reading. He moves away from her._] Take only our own
family. Harry and I both have turned over a new leaf. Renie, you said
Mr. Pilcher had set you thinking deeply----

_Renie._ Yes, dear, very deeply.

_Dolly._ Lu, you said the sermon had done you a lot of good.

_Lucas._ Heaps! I won't say I'm going to set up for a saint straight
off, because--well--I'm not so sure I could bring it off, even if I
tried----

_Matt._ That's what holds me back, my wretched nervous fear that I
shouldn't bring it off. Still, in justice to Pilcher, I hope you're not
going to let his sermon be wasted.

_Lucas._ Oh, no! My