slowly wheeled round and continued on his way towards
the hamlet of Craddock Dene, that lay in the valley about a mile further
on. Meanwhile the young woman was speeding towards the village of
Craddock on the summit of the gentle slope before her. A row of
broad-tiled cottages came in sight, and on the hill-side the Vicarage
among trees, and a grey stone church which had seen many changes since
its tower first looked out from the hill-top over the southern counties.

The little village seemed as if it had forgotten to change with the rest
of the country, for at least a hundred years. The spirit of the last
century lingered in its quiet cottages, in the little ale-house with
half-obliterated sign, in its air of absolute repose and leisure. There
was no evidence of contest anywhere--except perhaps in a few mouldy
advertisements of a circus and of a remarkable kind of soap, that were
half peeling off a moss-covered wall. There were not even many
indications of life in the place. The sunshine seemed to have the
village street to itself. A couple of women stood gossiping over the
gate of one of the cottages. They paused in their talk as a quick step
sounded on the road.

"There be Mrs. Temperley again!" one matron exclaimed. "Why this is the
second time this week, as she's come and sat in the churchyard along o'
the dead. Don't seem nat'ral to my thinking."

Mrs. Dodge and Mrs. Gullick continued to discuss this gloomy habit with
exhaustive minuteness, involving themselves in side issues regarding the
general conduct of life on the part of Mrs. Temperley, that promised
solid material for conversation for the next week. It appeared from the
observations of Mrs. Gullick, whose husband worked on Lord Engleton's
model farm, that about five years ago Mr. Temperley had rented the Red
House at Craddock Dene, and had brought his new wife to live there. The
Red House belonged to Professor Fortescue, who also owned the Priory,
which had stood empty, said Mrs. Gullick, since that poor Mrs. Fortescue
killed herself in the old drawing-room. Mr. Temperley went every day to
town to attend to his legal business, and returned by the evening train
to the bosom of his family. That family now consisted in his wife and
two small boys; pretty little fellows, added Mrs. Dodge, the pride of
their parents' hearts; at least, so she had heard Mr. Joseph Fleming
say, and he was intimate at the Red House. Mrs. Gullick did not exactly
approve of Mrs. T