the
propinquity of his venerable relative, had whispered in her ear, "he's a
livyer' 'cordin' to his lights, he is;" but Tryphosa spoke up and said
that nobody, not even a minister, could have behaved better than
Timotheus. Then Saul shook hands with his repentant son, solemnly, and
producing a well-worn catechism from his tail pocket, placed it with
reverence in the shaken hand. Looking upon Tryphosa, he remarked:
"Remember, Timotheus, the words of wisdom, 'Favour is deceitful and
beauty is vain, but whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing.' Go thou
and do likewise, Amen." Further improvement of the occasion was checked
by the arrival of a well-laden waggon, driven by Rufus, and containing
his parents, Christie Hislop, Mr. Bigglethorpe and Ben. Mr. Bigglethorpe
was hailed with delight by Marjorie, who immediately carried off "dear
Mr. Biggles" to see the creek, and tell her about his little boy, who
was not yet christened, because, in the face of Marjorie's opposition,
he could not call him Walton, Cotton or Piscator, and he could not think
of any other name. She had objected to Felix as too catty like, and
Isadore she had said was as bad as Is-a-window. However, he enjoyed the
creek for a few minutes before dinner. Mrs. Hill was installed as the
mother of the kitchen. With her great conversational powers and large
knowledge of scripture, she rather overawed father Pilgrim, and her own
and her husband's abundant cheerfulness revived a company, ready to
droop under the austerities of Saul's genuine but unpleasant religion.
Ben, as a sedate married man, gave himself largely to Mr. Hill's
society, until Mr. Terry came in to see his friend from the north, and
unfold his plans of an Irish tour. Later in the day Mr. Bangs rode over,
and made excuses for Matilda, who thought it wrong to go into society so
soon after her husband's death. Finally, the constable appeared in full
regimentals, with the stalwart Mrs. Rigby on his arm. That lady bestowed
on the faithless Ben a glance of withering contempt, but the constable
shook hands with him, as if he had been his greatest earthly benefactor.

It would take chapters to recite the goings on of that evening in either
end of the house, the jokes of father Hill, and the homilies of father
Pilgrim. Sylvanus dared and was slapped; and Timotheus followed his
example, but was more gently dealt with. Christie and Malvina, as
bridesmaids, had to inspect the trousseaus with Mrs. Hill. In