The Cathedral

nd

rain upon the glass roof. The Ronders stood, not bewildered, for that they never were, but thinking what would be best. The new Canon was a round man, round-shouldered, round-faced, round-stomached, round legged. A fair height, he was not ludicrous, but it seemed that if you laid him down he would roll naturally, still smiling, to the farthest end of the station. He wore large, very round spectacles. His black clerical coat and tro

t do we do

and find the cab,"

er, having seen that they were all there and that there was no nonsen

its forces, recalling them gradually so that the drops whispered now, patter-patter--pit-pat. A p

y, with a strange "wormy" pain in his left ear, took his horses out himself. He saved his money and counted it over by his fireside to see that his old woman didn't get any of it.

he place, he had come from London and they all had money in London. He licked his purple p

sty cab and rattled

as a little agitated beneath its white waistcoat. "You'll never forgive m

as active as a woman of forty. R

I ever cherish grievances? Never.

ou know, and Mrs. Clay's a jewel--but she complains of the Polchester maid

-place into the High Street. Ronder l

; "I believe I can b

you certainly won't stay,

omfortable," he r

to have been there and watched him as he sat back in the cab, looking through the window, indeed, but seeing apparently nothing. He seemed to be

aped him, but he seemed to see with his brain as though he had learnt the trick of forcing it to some new function that did not properly be

rows of the classics in calf and first editions of the Surtees books and Dr. Syntax. At the very top of the High Street was Mellock's the pastry- cook's, gay with its gas, rich with its famous saffron buns, its still more famous ginger-bread cake, and, most famous of all, its lemon biscuits. Even as the Ronders' cab paused for a moment before it turned to pass under the dark Arden Gate on to the asphalt of the Precincts, the great Mrs. Mellock herself, round and rubicund, came to the door and lo

ere," said the Archdeacon,

e Cathedral was a huge shadow above its dar

ering how much he dared to ask him. Ask him too much now and perhaps he would not deal with him in the future. Moreover, although the ma

up now." Miss Ronder disappeared into the house. Ronder stood for a moment looking

awcett, pointing to a house that stood by i

on Brando

"Good night," he said to Fawcett. "

had lived there for many years, and had died in the middle of a game of patience; her worn and tattered furniture had been sold at auction, and the house had remained unlet for a considerable period because people in the town said that the ghos

se like a slave, then retired back to Eaton Square again, leaving Mrs. Clay, her aide-de-camp, to manage the rest. Mrs. Clay had man

me down to tea, looked about h

u, Aunt Alice," he

very sligh

l to be done," she said; nevert

white, or wood in its natural colour, or polished brass. Books ran round the room in low white book-cases. In one corner a pure white Hermes stood on a pedestal with tiny wings outspread. There was only one picture, an excellent c

ils of the room with a quite sensual pleasure. He went over to th

d aloud. He put it back,

en will be ove

picking up the old square black lac

e, and Sir George Tressady, by Mrs. Humphry Ward, Mr. Swinburne's Tale of Balen, a

Mudie labels, their fresh bindings, then, slowl

ooks as though they

sat down b

l to-morrow," he said. "What hav

er and gets most of the light. The books are as you packed them. I haven't

s house as well as this room, you'll do. It's jo

ed the very

the settling in is going to be easier than I thought. Of co

he looked at her with a puzzled, h

g yourself down here. London was the breath of y

steadily

t interesting human being I've ever met, and that isn't prejudice. Aunts do not, as a rule, find

s opened by

iles," s

bandon you. She would share her last penny with you, run to the end of the world for you, defend you before the whole of humanity. Were you, however, in robust health, she would hint to every one of a possible cancer; were you popular, it would worry her terribly and she would discover a thousand faults in your character; were you successful in your work, she would pray fo

her character, half-humorously deprecated his talents, which were, as he knew well enough, no mean ones. She bored Alice Ronder, but Ronder found her useful. She told him a great deal that he wanted to know, and although she was never accurate in her information, he could separate the wheat from the chaff. She was a walking mischief-maker, but meant no harm to a living soul. She prided herself on her honest

f affection, but she was a little distressed to find the room so neat and settled. S

nd there's a good deal to arrange still. The Polchester girls are so slow and always breaking

lp. It's only this room that Aunt Alice got straight--just to have something to show, you know. And o

Such a bad introduction, and everything looking as gloomy and depressing as possible. I expect you wished yo

ed Miss Ronder. "But I shall go t

Now, you're not to get up in the morning and I'll run abou

so much to do," said Ronder

Stiles with satisfaction. "I thought when I came in that sh

at, after a week or two, they would probably find things not so bad after all. She drank several cups of tea

umorously observing her, "that you

ou think? Falk Brandon has been sen

alk Brandon?"

himself for a long while. This will pull him down a little. I must say, although I don't want to be uncharitable, that I'm glad of it. It's t

id this

lk, I mean--and he didn't pretend to disguise it. George said 'Hullo, Brandon, what are you doing here?' and Falk said 'Oh, I've been sent down'

, laughing, "in being sent down from Oxford.

in England. Some people call it conceit, but, however that may be, he thinks there's nothing like his family. E

said

d fallen flat, "you'll have to fight him or give in to

, I never fight anybod

ssed. He must have his way about everything. If the Bishop weren't so old a

that, Ellen," said Ronder. "

perfect

Stiles, tossing her head. "I'd be

a curious look, half of amu

Now, if you've finished your tea, com