"You'd better come to lunch at my rooms," said the young curate,
eagerly. "Do! Mother has brought the jolliest hamper! Game-pie,
and preserved magnum-bonums, and pears off the old jargonelle.--
Come, Lady Rosamond, do.--Come along, Bindon! There's such a dish
of damson-cheese! Do!"

That "_do_," between insinuation and heartiness, was so boyish, that
it was quite irresistible to the lady, who consented eagerly, while
Julius wrote a word or two on a card, which he despatched to the
Hall by the first child he encountered. In a few minutes they
reached the nice clean bay-windowed room over the village shop,
comically like an undergraduate's, in spite of the mother's and
sister's recent touches.

There ensued a resolute quieting of the dogs, and a vigorous
exertion of hospitality, necessitating some striding up and down
stairs, and much shouting to Mrs. Hornblower and her little niece,
who rejoiced in the peculiar name of Dilemma; while Rosamond petted
Tartar upon her lap, and the two elder clergymen, each with an elbow
against the window-frame and a knee on the seat, held council, based
on the Rector's old knowledge of the territory and the curate's
recent observations during his five weeks' sojourn.

The plans to be put in force next week were arranged during the
meal, and the junior observed that he would walk home to-night and
back on Saturday evening, since after that he should be tied pretty
fast.

And he started with Julius and Rosamond on their further progress,
soon, however, tumbling over another stone wall with all his dogs,
and being only heard hallooing to them as they yelped after the
larks.

"That is a delicious boy!" said Rosamond, laughing merrily. "A nice
fellow--but we mustn't make it a custom to be always going in to
partake of his hampers, or we shall prey inordinately on Mrs.
Bowater's preserves."

"He was just like the hero of

"Oh, I have a plum-cake,
And a rare feast I'll make."

I do like a boy with a sweet tooth!"

"Like him! Of course I do. The Bowaters are like one's own
kindred! I only hope I shall not spoil him."

"Hasn't his mother done that for you?"

"I wish he had spent a year or two at Cuddesdon! I ought to have
seen him before consenting to give him a title at once, but his
father and Jenny wished it so much. Ah! come in here. Bindon said
Lucy Martin was a case for a lady."

Rosamond's hearty good-nature was much more at ease among ailing old
women than