ink I'd rather not, Rachel,
thank you;--not to dinner, that is. Perhaps I'll walk out in the
evening after tea, when the work of the day is over. If I come then,
perhaps my friend, Miss Pucker, may come with me."

"And if your esteemed mamma will allow me to pay my respects," said
Mr. Prong, "I shall be most happy to accompany the ladies."

It will be acknowledged that Rachel had no alternative left to her.
She said that her mother would be happy to see Mr. Prong, and happy
to see Miss Pucker also. As to herself, she made no such assertion,
being in her present mood too full of her own thoughts to care much
for the ordinary courtesies of life.

"I'm very sorry you won't come to dinner, Dolly," she said; but she
abstained from any word of asking the others to tea.

"If it had only been Mr. Prong," she said to her mother afterwards,
"I should have asked him; for I suppose he'll have to come to the
house sooner or later. But I wouldn't tell that horrid, squinting
woman that you wanted to see her, for I'm sure you don't."

"But we must give them some cake and a glass of sweet wine," said
Mrs. Ray.

"She won't have to take her bonnet off for that as she would for tea,
and it isn't so much like making herself at home here. I couldn't
bear to have to ask her up to my room."

On leaving the house in the High Street, which she did about eight
o'clock, she took her way towards the churchyard,--not passing down
Brewery Lane, by Mr. Tappitt's house, but taking the main street
which led from the High Street to the church. But at the corner, just
as she was about to leave the High Street, she was arrested by a
voice that was familiar to her, and, turning round, she saw Mrs.
Cornbury seated in a low carriage, and driving a pair of ponies.
"How are you, Rachel?" said Mrs. Cornbury, shaking hands with her
friend, for Rachel had gone out into the street up to the side of the
carriage, when she found that Mrs. Cornbury had stopped. "I'm going
by the cottage,--to papa's. I see you are turning the other way; but
if you've not much delay, I'll stay for you and take you home."

But Rachel had before her that other visit to make, and she was not
minded either to omit it or postpone it. "I should like it so much,"
said Rachel, "only--"

"Ah! well; I see. You've got other fish to fry. But, Rachel, look
here, dear." And Mrs. Cornbury almost whispered into her ear across
the side of the pony carriage. "Don't you believe quite all you he