" said Miss Sarah, "that it will be Elinor's name too."

"So here we all are again," said the Rector, gazing down tranquilly upon
his flock, "not able to resist a little histrionic exhibition--and Mr.
Compton too, fresh from the great world. I daresay our good friend Mrs.
Basset would hand us out some chairs. No Englishman can resist Punch.
Alick, my boy, you ought to be at your work. It will not do to neglect
your lessons when you are so near your exam."

"No Englishman, father, can resist Punch," said the lad: at which the
two ostlers and the landlord of the Bull's Head, who was standing with
his hands in his pockets in his own doorway, laughed loud.

"Had the old fellow there," said Compton, which was the first observation
he had made. The ladies looked at him with some horror, and Alick a
little flustered, half pleased, half horrified, by this support, while
the Rector laughed, but stiffly _au bout des levres_. He was not
accustomed to be called an old fellow in his own parish.

"The old fellows, as you elegantly say, Mr. Compton, have always the
worst of it in a popular assembly. Elinor, here is a chair for you, my
love. Another one please, Mrs. Basset, for I see Miss Dale coming up
this way."

"By Jove," said Compton, under his breath. "Elinor, here's the one that
knows society. I hope she isn't such an old guy as the rest."

"Oh, Phil, be good!" said Elinor, "or let us go away, which would be the
best."

"Not a bit," he said. "Let's see the show. I say, old man, where are you
from last?"

"Down from Guildford ways, guv'nor--awful bad trade; not taken a bob,
s' help me, not for three days, and bed and board to get off o' that,
me and my mate."

"Well, here is a nice little party for you, my man," said the Rector,
"it is not often you have such an audience--nor would I encourage it,
indeed, if it were not so purely English an exhibition."

"Master," said the showman, "worst of it is, nobody pays till we've done
the show, and then they goes away, and they've got it, don't you see,
and we can't have it back once it's in their insides, and there ain't
nothink then, neither for my mate nor me."

"Here's for you, old fellow," said Phil. He took a sovereign from his
waistcoat pocket and chucked it with his thumbnail into the man's hand,
who looked at it with astonished delight, tossed it into the air with a
grin, a "thank'ee, gentleman!" and a call to his "mate" who immediately
began the ever-exciting, ever-