y upstairs.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN.

IN THE VILLAGE CHURCH.

The shopping expedition was, by common consent, postponed until the
middle of the following week, when Jack Melland would have taken his
departure.

"Let us make hay while the sun shines. Three is an abominable number,
especially when you happen to be the third," said Mollie, sighing. "Mr
Druce admires you very much, Ruth. I often see him staring at you when
you are not looking; but when I appear upon the scene his eyelids droop,
and he does not deign even to glance in my direction. He puzzles me a
good deal, as a rule. I rather fancy myself as a judge of character,
but I can't decide whether he is really a model of virtue, or a villain
in disguise."

Ruth made a movement of impatience.

"How exaggerated you are, Mollie! Why must you rush off to extremes in
that foolish fashion? Mr Druce is probably neither one nor the other,
but just an ordinary combination of faults and virtues. He is kind and
considerate to Uncle Bernard, and very chivalrous to us;--a hundred
times more so than Jack Melland, who certainly does not err on the side
of politeness. Personally, I don't think any the less highly of people
because they are little reserved and uncommunicative at first. It will
be time enough to judge Mr Druce's character when we have known him for
weeks, instead of days."

"Humph! I believe in first impressions," insisted Mollie obstinately;
"and so do you, really, or you would not bristle up when I dare to cast
a doubt on his excellence. You are going to like him, Ruth, I can see
that quite clearly, and he admires you; so, as I said before, I shall be
the poor little pig who stays at home, while you two wander abroad
together. It's not exactly the programme which my fancy painted when we
came down; but if I devote myself to Uncle Bernard, and cut you both
out, I shall have the best of it, after all. Perhaps, too I may make
friends with someone in the neighbourhood,--there is always the chance
of that, and I do love meeting new people. I suppose callers will begin
to arrive after we have made our first public appearance at church to-
morrow. I am quite excited at the prospect of seeing all the people--
aren't you?"

"I am not going," said Ruth.

And when Mollie exclaimed and cross-questioned, she flushed
uncomfortably, but did not refuse to answer.

"I have made up my mind to go to early service, but not again at eleven
o'clock. It's no