siness and a little less of cricket, he
will make an excellent husband."

"Of course he had to think a little of the match when the Englishmen
were here; and he did play well, did he not? He beat them all there."
I could perceive that Eva was quite as intent upon cricket as was her
lover, and probably thought just as little about the business. "But,
Mr Neverbend, must you really go?"

"I think so. It is not only that they are determined to take me, but
that I am myself anxious to be in England."

"You wish to--to preach the Fixed Period?"

"Well, my dear, I have got my own notions, which at my time of life I
cannot lay aside. I shall endeavour to ventilate them in England, and
see what the people there may say about them."

"You are not angry with me?"

"My child, how could I be angry with you? What you did, you did for
your father's sake."

"And papa? You will not be angry with papa because he didn't want to
give up Little Christchurch, and to leave the pretty place which he
has made himself, and to go into the college,--and be killed!"

I could not quite answer her at the moment, because in truth I was
somewhat angry with him. I thought that he should have understood
that there was something higher to be achieved than an extra year or
two among the prettinesses of Little Christchurch. I could not but
be grieved because he had proved himself to be less of a man than I
had expected. But as I remained silent for a few moments, Eva held
my hand in hers, and looked up into my face with beseeching eyes.
Then my anger went, and I remembered that I had no reason to expect
heroism from Crasweller, simply because he had been my friend. "No,
dear, no; all feeling of anger is at an end. It was natural that he
should wish to remain at Little Christchurch; and it was better than
natural, it was beautiful, that you should wish to save him by the
use of the only feminine weapon at your command."

"Oh, but I did love Jack," she said.

"I have still an hour or two before I depart, and I shall run down to
Little Christchurch to take your father by the hand once more. You
may be sure that what I shall say to him will not be ill-natured. And
now good-bye, my darling child. My time here in Britannula is but
short, and I cannot give up more of it even to my chosen daughter."
Then again she kissed me, and putting on her little hat, went away to
Mrs Neverbend,--or to Jack.

It was now nearly ten o'clock, and I had out my tricycl