are both alive and have not lost many of our
belongings."

"Quite so; and under the circumstances you should be uncommonly
thankful. But I need not tell a parson that. Well, I can only say that
I am delighted to have such a good opportunity of making your
acquaintance, which I am sure will lead to our pulling together in
parish affairs like a pair of matched horses. Now I must go and dress.
But I tell you what, I'll come and smoke a cigar with you afterwards,
and put you au fait with all our various concerns. You'll find them a
nice lot in this parish, I can tell you, a nice lot. Old Tomley just
gave them up as a bad job."

"I hope I shan't do that," replied Mr. Fregelius, after his retreating
form.

The Colonel was down to dinner first, and standing warming himself at
the library fire when Stella, once more in honour of his arrival arrayed
in her best dress, entered the room. The Colonel put up his eyeglass and
looked at her as she came down its length.

"By Jove!" he thought to himself, "I didn't know that the clergyman's
daughter was like this; nobody ever said so. After all, that fellow
Morris can't be half such a fool as he looks, for he kept it dark." Then
he stepped forward with outstretched hand.

"You must allow me to introduce myself, Miss Fregelius," he said with an
old-fashioned and courtly bow, "and to explain that I have the honour to
be my son's father."

She bowed and answered: "Yes, I think I should have known that from the
likeness."

"Hum!" said the Colonel. "Even at my age I am not certain that I am
altogether flattered. Morris is an excellent fellow, and very clever
at electrical machines; but I have never considered him remarkable for
personal beauty--not exactly an Adonis, or an Apollo, or a Narcissus,
you know."

"I should doubt whether any of them had such a nice face," replied
Stella with a smile.

"My word! Now, that is what I call a compliment worth having. But I hear
the gentleman himself coming. Shall I repeat it to him?"

"No, please don't, Colonel Monk. I did not mean it for compliment, only
for an answer."

"Your wish is a command; but may I make an exception in favour of Miss
Porson, who prospectively owns the nice face in question? She would be
delighted to know it so highly rated;" and he glanced at her sharply,
the look of a man of the world who is trying to read a woman's heart.

"By all means," answered Stella, in an indifferent voice, but
recognising in the Colone