t unconscious of his own defects. He had
once shown some symptoms of admiration for Cherry, by whom he was
hated with an intensity of dislike that had amounted to a passion.
She had begged that he might be omitted from the list; but Mrs.
Tappitt had been afraid of angering their father.

The Rules also would be much in the way. Old Joshua Rule was a
maltster, living in Cawston, and his wife and daughter had been
asked before the accession of the Butler Cornbury dignity. Old Rule
had supplied the brewery with malt almost ever since it had been a
brewery; and no more harmless people than Mrs. Rule and her daughter
existed in the neighbourhood;--but they were close neighbours of the
Comforts, of Mrs. Cornbury's father and mother, and Mr. Comfort would
have as soon asked his sexton to dine with him as the Rules. The
Rules never expected such a thing, and therefore lived on very good
terms with the clergyman. "I'm afraid she won't like meeting Mrs.
Rule," Augusta had said to her mother; and then the mother had shaken
her head.

Early in the week, before Rachel had accepted the invitation, Cherry
had written to her friend. "Of course you'll come," Cherry had said;
"and as you may have some difficulty in getting here and home again,
I'll ask old Mrs. Rule to call for you. I know she'll have a place in
the fly, and she's very good-natured." In answer to this Rachel had
written a separate note to Cherry, telling her friend in the least
boastful words which she could use that provision had been already
made for her coming and going. "Mamma was up at Mr. Comfort's
yesterday," Rachel wrote, "and he was so kind as to say that Mrs.
Butler Cornbury would take me and bring me back. I am very much
obliged to you all the same, and to Mrs. Rule."

"What do you think?" said Cherry, who had received her note in the
midst of one of the family conferences; "Augusta said that Mrs.
Butler Cornbury would not like to meet Rachel Ray; but she is going
to bring her in her own carriage."

"I never said anything of the kind," said Augusta.

"Oh, but you did, Augusta; or mamma did, or somebody. How nice for
Rachel to be chaperoned by Mrs. Butler Cornbury!"

"I wonder what she'll wear," said Mrs. Tappitt, who had on that
morning achieved her victory over the wounded brewer in the matter of
the three dresses.

On the Friday morning Mrs. Rowan came with her daughter, Luke having
met them at Exeter on the Thursday. Mrs. Rowan was a somewhat state