made such sentiments for a time inappropriate. But
Mr. Thynne had turned out a very sympathetic young clergyman. He had
left his card and kind inquiries at once. He had helped to officiate at
the funeral, and afterwards Minnie had been heard to say that no one had
given her so true an idea of how grief ought to be borne. He had been a
frequent visitor through the summer. If Theo saw little of him, that was
entirely Theo's fault. It was Mr. Thynne who persuaded the girls that
to resume their duties in the Sunday school was not only right, but the
best thing for them,--so soothing and comforting; and he had come a
great deal to the Warren while Theo was so much away, and in many things
had made himself useful to the girls, as Theo had been doing to Lady
Markland. He did not, indeed, devote himself to them with the same
indiscriminate devotion. There was no occasion for anything of the kind.
Mrs. Warrender was quite capable of looking after things herself, and
Minnie's energy was almost greater than was necessary for the needs of
their position; so that it was not at all needful or desirable that he
should put himself at their disposal in any exaggerated way. But all
that a man and a clergyman could do to make himself useful and agreeable
Eustace Thynne did. They got to call him Eustace Thynne quite naturally,
when they were talking of him, though they still called him Mr. Thynne
when conversing with him. They saw a great deal of him. There was very
little to do at Pierrepoint, and he was a great walker, and constantly
met them when they were out. And he was very sound in his views, not
extreme in anything; not an evangelical, much less inclining towards the
section of the Church which began to be known in the world under the
name of Puseyists. Eustace Thynne had no exaggerated ideas; he was not
eccentric in anything. The Thirty-Nine Articles sat as easily upon him
as his very well made coat; he never forgot that he was a clergyman, or
wore even a gray checked necktie, which the rector sometimes did, but
always had a white tie, very neatly tied, and a tall hat, which was
considered in those days the proper dress for a clergyman, even in the
country. His political ideas inclined to Conservatism, whereas, as
Minnie always said, the Warrenders were Liberal; but it was a very
moderate Conservatism, and the difference was scarcely appreciable.

From all this it may be divined that Minnie was in the way of following
the example