tant for her husband, so this last named lady drove over
one morning in the November of 1825, by arrangement, to take an early
dinner with Mrs Cowey and spend the afternoon. After dinner the two
ladies retired together, and the business of the day began. How they
fenced, how they saw through one another, with what loyalty they
pretended not to see through one another, with what gentle dalliance they
prolonged the conversation discussing the spiritual fitness of this or
that deacon, and the other pros and cons connected with him after his
spiritual fitness had been disposed of, all this must be left to the
imagination of the reader. Mrs Cowey had been so accustomed to scheming
on her own account that she would scheme for anyone rather than not
scheme at all. Many mothers turned to her in their hour of need and,
provided they were spiritually minded, Mrs Cowey never failed to do her
best for them; if the marriage of a young Bachelor of Arts was not made
in Heaven, it was probably made, or at any rate attempted, in Mrs Cowey's
drawing-room. On the present occasion all the deacons of the University
in whom there lurked any spark of promise were exhaustively discussed,
and the upshot was that our friend Theobald was declared by Mrs Cowey to
be about the best thing she could do that afternoon.

"I don't know that he's a particularly fascinating young man, my dear,"
said Mrs Cowey, "and he's only a second son, but then he's got his
fellowship, and even the second son of such a man as Mr Pontifex the
publisher should have something very comfortable."

"Why yes, my dear," rejoined Mrs Allaby complacently, "that's what one
rather feels."

CHAPTER X

The interview, like all other good things had to come to an end; the days
were short, and Mrs Allaby had a six miles' drive to Crampsford. When
she was muffled up and had taken her seat, Mr Allaby's _factotum_, James,
could perceive no change in her appearance, and little knew what a series
of delightful visions he was driving home along with his mistress.

Professor Cowey had published works through Theobald's father, and
Theobald had on this account been taken in tow by Mrs Cowey from the
beginning of his University career. She had had her eye upon him for
some time past, and almost as much felt it her duty to get him off her
list of young men for whom wives had to be provided, as poor Mrs Allaby
did to try and get a husband for one of her daughters. She now wrot