ve. He would tell her
also whether it was impossible that she should ever return to the
cottage, for already her heart was becoming somewhat more soft than
was its wont. And as she walked she met Mr. Prong himself, intent on
his pastoral business. "I was thinking of coming to you to-morrow,"
she said, after their first salutation was over.

"Do," said he; "do; come early,--before the toil of the day's work
commences. I also am specially anxious to see you. Will nine be too
early,--or, if you have not concluded your morning meal by that time,
half-past nine?"

Mrs. Prime assured him that her morning meal was always concluded
before nine o'clock, and promised to be with him by that hour. Then
as she slowly paced up the High Street to the Cawston Bridge and
back again, she wondered within herself as to the matter on which Mr.
Prong could specially want to see her. He might probably desire to
claim her services for some woman's work in his sheepfold. He should
have them willingly, for she had begun to feel that she would sooner
co-operate with Mr. Prong than with Miss Pucker. As she returned down
the High Street, and came near to her own door, she saw the cause
of all her family troubles standing at the entrance to Griggs's
wine-store. He was talking to the shopman within, and as she passed
she frowned grimly beneath her widow's bonnet. "Send them to the
brewery at once," said Luke Rowan to the man. "They are wanted this
evening."

"I understand," said the man.

"And tell your fellow to take them round to the back door."

"All right," said the man, winking with one eye. He understood very
well that young Rowan was ordering the champagne for Mrs. Tappitt's
supper, and that it was thought desirable that Mr. Tappitt shouldn't
see the bottles going into the house.

Miss Pucker possessed at any rate the virtue of being early, so that
Mrs. Prime had no difficulty in concluding her "morning meal," and
being at Mr. Prong's house punctually at nine o'clock. Mr. Prong,
it seemed, had not been quite so steadfast to his purpose, for his
teapot was still upon the table, together with the debris of a large
dish of shrimps, the eating of small shell-fish being an innocent
enjoyment to which he was much addicted.

"Dear me; so it is; just nine. We'll have these things away in a
minute. Mrs. Mudge; Mrs. Mudge!" Whereupon Mrs. Mudge came forth,
and between the three the table was soon cleared. "I wish you hadn't
caught me so late,"