day evening,--that fatal Saturday,--they were very gracious to
her. The brewery at Baslehurst stood on the outskirts of the town, in
a narrow lane which led from the church into the High-street. This
lane,--Brewery-lane, as it was called,--was not the main approach to
the church; but from the lane there was a stile into the churchyard,
and a gate, opened on Sundays, by which people on that side reached
the church. From the opposite side of the churchyard a road led away
to the foot of the High-street, and out towards the bridge which
divided the town from the parish of Cawston. Along one side of this
road there was a double row of elms, having a footpath beneath them.
This old avenue began within the churchyard, running across the lower
end of it, and was continued for some two hundred yards beyond its
precincts. This, then, would be the way which Rachel would naturally
take in going home, after leaving the Miss Tappitts at their door;
but it was by no means the way which was the nearest for Mrs. Prime
after leaving Miss Pucker's lodgings in the High-street, seeing that
the High-street itself ran direct to Cawston bridge.

And it must also be explained that there was a third path out of the
churchyard, not leading into any road, but going right away across
the fields. The church stood rather high, so that the land sloped
away from it towards the west, and the view there was very pretty.
The path led down through a small field, with high hedgerows, and by
orchards, to two little hamlets belonging to Baslehurst, and this was
a favourite walk with the people of the town. It was here that Rachel
had walked with the Miss Tappitts on that evening when Luke Rowan had
first accompanied her as far as Cawston bridge, and it was here that
they agreed to walk again on the Saturday when Rowan was supposed to
be away at Exeter. Rachel was to come along under the elms, and was
to meet her friends there, or in the churchyard, or, if not so, then
she was to call for them at the brewery.

She found the three girls leaning against the rails near the
churchyard stile. "We have been waiting ever so long," said Cherry,
who was more specially Rachel's friend.

"Oh, but I said you were not to wait," said Rachel, "for I never am
quite sure whether I can come."

"We knew you'd come," said Augusta, "because--"

"Because what?" asked Rachel.

"Because nothing," said Cherry. "She's only joking."

Rachel said nothing more, not having underst