And Mr Lerew, rising with a frowning
brow, walked to the door, while the captain, sinking back on his pillow,
rang his bell. Soon after Mr Lerew had returned to the drawing-room,
the servant entered to say that the captain wished to see Miss Clara,
and she, without even stopping to say good-bye to her guests, hurried
upstairs. The vicar's manner was calm as usual. Miss Pemberton had
scarcely time to ask whether he had had a satisfactory interview with
her brother-in-law, when Lieutenant and Mrs Sims entered the room.
Miss Pemberton was compelled to shake hands with them, as the lieutenant
advanced in his usual hearty fashion, but she showed that their arrival
caused her no great satisfaction. Mr Lerew and his wife received them
in a stiff manner, and the former held out two fingers, which Sims
nearly dislocated as he grasped them in his rough palm. The lieutenant,
having enquired after Captain Maynard, and being informed by Miss
Pemberton that he was as well as she could hope, found himself compelled
to relapse into silence, as Mr Lerew, giving a hint to his wife to
attend to Mrs Sims, requested a few moments conversation with Miss
Pemberton in the bay window. Leading the lady to it, he spoke in so low
a voice, that even Mrs Sims, much as she might have wished to do so,
could not catch a word--while the honest lieutenant, who did not trouble
himself about the matter, endeavoured to make amends for the somewhat
unintelligible replies which his wife gave to Mrs Lerew.

The first portion of the vicar's conversation had reference to Clara; he
then continued in the same suppressed tone, "The General, also, is not a
man on whose religious opinions you should place reliance, my dear
madam, and I would especially urge you to prevent him, by every means in
your power, from coming here. He can only lead your poor brother-in-law
from the right path, and may induce him to refrain from taking advantage
of the sacred offices I am so anxious to render."

In a few minutes Mr Lerew and Miss Pemberton returned to their seats,
the former observing in a voice which he intended should be heard,
"General Caulfield may be a very worthy soldier, but I unhesitatingly
say, and I wish it to be known, that I consider any person, whatever his
rank, is to be greatly blamed who enters a dissenting chapel, and
without authority pretends to preach to the ignorant populace."

"But, sir, I can say I once listened to as good a sermon preached by