e as we did."

"The best of it was," said the junior, "that Charlie was so awfully
afraid that he and poor Miles's wife would be taken for the Squire,
that he dashed in on his way to warn me to choke them off. If she
hadn't been ill, I must have set the boys on for a lark! How is
she, though?" he asked in a really kind tone.

"She looks very ill, poor thing," said Julius.

Here the bull terrier became assiduous in his attentions to
Rosamond; and between his master's calls and apologies, and her
caresses and excuses, not much more was heard, till Julius asked
with mock gravity, "And are these all you've brought over, Herbert?"

"Yes, all; I'd half a mind to bring the two greyhounds, but my
father thought they would get into trouble in the preserves, and
there isn't room at Mrs. Hornblower's place," he answered, with
apologetic simplicity.

"What a pity Durham has been reduced!" said Mr. Bindon, dryly. "It
would have been the right preferment for Bowater. The Bishop was
obliged by statute to keep a pack of hounds."

"But, sir," expostulated the deacon, turning to the Rector,
colouring all over his honest rosy face, "you don't object! You
know, of course, I've given up sport," he added ruefully; "but only
just as companions!--Ain't you, Rollo?" he added, almost with tears
in his eyes, and a hand on the smooth black head, belonging to such
a wise benignant face, that Rosamond was tempted to pronounce the
dog the more clerical looking of the two.

"You are very welcome," said Julius, laughing, "provided you can
manage with the old women's cats. I should find such companions
rather awkward in pastoral visits."

"I'll teach them, sir! You may depend on it! We did have a little
flare-up yesterday, but I showed them the sense of it. You might
teach those dogs anything!--Ha! what then, Tartar! Halloo, Mungo!
Rats, rats, rats!"

A prodigious scratching and snorting was audible in what had been a
cellar of the quondam Rectory; and Rollo, becoming excited, dashed
up to the scene of action, with a deep bass war-cry, while, to
Rosamond's great amusement, "rats" was no less a peal to Rector and
senior; and for the next quarter of an hour the three clergymen
moved bricks, poked with their sticks, and cheered on the chase till
the church clock struck one, the masons began to return from dinner,
and the sounds of the bell at the Hall recalled the party to order.

"There, Rose! Our first day!" said Julius, aghast.