She made her appearance looking quite dazzling. Electra had a gay taste
in dress. She loved bright colors and many of them. She wore a purple
dressing-gown with a brilliant shawl border--a dress for a portly old
lady rather than for a slim young girl.

They went down together to the breakfast-room, where they found the
languishing widow and the old clergyman _tete-a-tete_.

Mrs. Grey greeted them with a sweet smile and honeyed words, and Dr.
Jones with a kindly good-morning and handshake.

And they sat down to breakfast.

This Easter Sunday had dawned clearly and beautifully. The family of
Blue Cliffs were all going to attend divine service at Wendover.

So, as soon as breakfast was over, the carriage was ordered, and the
young ladies went upstairs to dress for church.

At nine o'clock the whole party set out. Emma Cavendish, Laura Lytton
and Electra Coroni went in the old family coach, carefully driven by
Jerome. Mrs. Grey went in a buggy driven by the Rev. Dr. Jones.

Who arranged this last drive, this _tete-a-tete_, no one knew except the
artful coquette and her venerable victim.

They all reached the church in good time.

The rector, the Rev. Dr. Goodwin, read the morning service, and the Rev.
Dr. Jones preached the sermon.

At the conclusion of the services, when the congregation were leaving,
Mr. Craven Kyte came up to pay his respects to the ladies from Blue
Cliffs.

Miss Cavendish introduced him to Dr. Jones, explaining that he had been
a ward of her father, and was once an inmate of Blue Cliff Hall.

Dr. Jones received the young man with courtesy, and in his turn
introduced him to Miss Coroni.

Then Emma Cavendish invited him to go home with them to dinner, kindly
reminding him of the old custom of spending his holidays in his
guardian's house.

With a smile and a bow, and with a warm expression of thanks, the young
man accepted the offered hospitality.

And when the party entered their carriages to return to Blue Cliffs,
Craven Kyte, mounted on a fine horse, attended them.

But, mind, he did not ride beside the carriage that contained the three
young ladies, but beside the gig occupied by Mary Grey and Dr. Jones.

And the very first inquiry he made of Emma, on reaching the house, was:

"Is the Reverend Doctor Jones a married man?"

"Why, what a question!" exclaimed Emma, laughing. "No, he is not a
married man; he is a widower. Why do you ask?"

"I don't know. But I thought he was a w