A Tale of a Lonely Parish

e library talking in an undertone with Mr. Juxon. She liked the great room, the air of luxury, the squire's tea and the squire's conversation. It is worth noticing th

John Short's appearance it is hard to say; it is

d the party had only come to make a shor

ittle girl who was still absorbed in the book of engravings which

alacrity. The vicar looked up; Nell

he squire. "Really, the days h

Christmas if they were l

Christmas anyhow," rema

bservation and no one p

us feeling of annoyance

t in the dark corner

ey all went out into the hall and began to put on their warm things b

had a comfortable nap by the fire, was of the same

ng both the squire and John, but she had quite made up her mind. She had her own reasons. The vicar, good man, was unconsciously a little flattered by her choice, as with her hand resting on the

here is more daylight," sai

nto silence, but his instinct made him ashamed of seeming rude. "You

better ones in Cambridge,"

Cambridge wel

am a Cambridge

at the squire was not so bad as he had thought. "Ind

it," said Mr. Juxon quietly. "The

of associating with a man for any length of tim

. Juxon. "There are lots of

hn, in a tone which did

front; so briskly in fact that Nellie occasionally jump

in the drive and caught sight of the western sky still clear and red. "And ther

ried Nellie. "You must, you kn

as she walked. She always wished, whether there was a new moon or not, and she always wished th

ke our John Sh

swered Mrs. Goddard. "He

you would like him. Is he at all

ooked, but I always thought he would be rather By

Mr. Ambrose in a tone of profound admiration.

Goddard smiling in the dusk. "I

e of themselves, but the joint sense of disappointment did not constitute a common bond of interest. Either one would have suffered anything rather than mention Mrs. Goddard to the other in the course of the walk. And yet Mr. Juxon might have been John's father. At the gate of the cottage they se

ather suddenly, holding ou

at is-would you like to see one o

like," she answered fr

I would.

r curiously as he came back. Mr. Juxon was standing in the middle of

corner towards the village John instinctively looked back. Mr. Juxon was still making Stamboul jump the stick before the cotta

d. "Mr. Ambrose," he continued at last, "you never to

Well-no-I did not think it w

e had known she was in Billingsfield he would have made a great sacrifice in

t addition," s

reat, I sh

r's Christmas dinner; among others a haunch of venison which Mrs. Ambrose pronounced to be in the best condition. The vicar retorted by sending to the Hall a magnificent Cottenham cheese which, as a former Fellow of Trinity, he had succeeded in obtaining. Moreover Mr. Ambrose himself descended to the cellar and brought up several bottles of Audit ale which he declared must be allowed to stand some time in the pantry in order to bring out the flavour an

s shed a rather feeble light amongst the pillars; a crowd of school children, not yet washed for the morrow, were busy under the directions of the schoolmistress in decorating the chancel; Mr. Thomas Reid the conservative sexton was at the top of a tall ladder, presumably using doubtful language to himself as every third nail he tried to drive into the crevices of the stone "crooked hisself and larfed at him," as he expressed it; the organ was playing and a dozen small boys with three or four men were industriously practising the anthem "Arise, Shine," producing strains which if not calculated altogether to elevate the heart by their harmony, would certainly have caused the hair of a sensitive musician to rise on end; three or four of the oldest inhabitants were leaning on their sticks in the ne

ttle figure, muffled in furs and standing beside him. He looke

she asked timidly. "I like to

John kindly, but looking

e's m

Mrs. Ambrose. They said

erhaps you would. But you might hold the string

n the end of the choir bench where John was at work and taking the b

ing so, except that the squire had sent a hamper to the vicarage. "Did he stay long b

re?" asked Nel

nto your house after we

Nellie and to go and speak to her, but an undefined feeling of hurt pride prevented him. He would not forgive her for having taken the vicar's arm in coming home through the park; so he stayed where he was, pricking his fingers with the holly and rather impatiently pulling the string off the b

e turned and looking for Nellie saw that she was seated beside John; to his great delight she came towards him. She

re, too, Mr. S

ee," answered John. "Ar

Won't you

to her mother, "but they would not l

. Short," said Mrs. Goddard good-naturedl

ecuted; he felt in the little crowd of village people that he was her natural protector, and he wished he might never have anything in the world to do save to decorate a church in her company. He grew more and more confidential and when the work was all done he felt that he had thoroughly established himself in her good graces and went home to dream of the happiest day he had ever spent. The organ ceased playing, the little choir dispersed, th

in the course of the evening. John thanked her rather effusively for her help-he could never have got through those choir benches without her, he said; and the vicar added that he was very much obliged, too, and surreptitiously conveyed to Mrs. Goddard's ha

lled yet always present. And now at last it began to be fulfilled in earnest; he had met the lady in black at last, had spent nearly half a day in her company and was more persuaded than ever that she was really and truly his ideal. He did not go to sleep so soon as in the old days, and he was sorry to go to sleep at all; he wanted to enjoy all his delicious recollections of that afternoon before he slept and, as he recapitulated the events which had befallen him and recalled each e

es upon his little window, the snow was clinging to the yew branches outside and the robins were hopping and chirping over the thin crust of frozen snow that just covered the ground. The road was hard and brown as on the pre

pearance of Billingsfield was singularly festive and mirthful. At precisely ten minutes to eleven the vicar and Mrs. Ambrose, accompanied by John, issued from the vicarage and went across the road by the private path to the church. As they entered the porch Mr. Reid, who stood solemnly tolling the small bell, popularly nicknamed the "Ting-tang," and of which the single rope passed down close to the south door, vouchsafed John a sour smile of recognition. John felt as though he had come home. Mrs. Goddard and Nellie appeared a moment afterwards and took their seats in the pew traditionally belonging to the cottage, behind that of the squire who was always early, and the sight of whose smoothly brushed hair and brown beard was a constant source of satisfaction to Mrs. Ambrose. John and Mrs. Ambrose sat on the opposite side of the aisle, but John's eyes strayed very frequently towards Mrs. Goddard; so frequently indeed that she noticed it and leaned far back in her seat to avoid his glance. Whereupon John blushed and felt that the vicar, who was reading

e choir, as compared with the solemn and magnificent musical services of Trinity College Chapel. But i

ny happy returns." Mrs. Goddard looked more charming than

l looked this morning

" answered John. "There is nothing so deli

own next year and help u

dd

mpossible to visit Billingsfield during two years and a half, now saw no difficulty whatever in the

" she said pleasantly. "I thought

hn. "But of course I could come,

necessary-" Mrs.

as absolutely indispensable for my he

k very ill-are you?"

ot-only a little ov

doubt it would do you

hink so?" asked

r doctor to decide. I cannot

ood doctor, Mrs. Goddard," said

tle laugh. "Good morning, Mr. Ambrose. Nellie wants to thank

senting Mr. Reid with ten shillings for his Christmas box and who looked singularly bereaved without the faithful Stamboul at his heels, sauntered up and began congratulating ever

should be skating in the afternoon and the squire was anxious

oul and I have been sliding all over it, so of cou

, Mrs. Goddar

ly so well as Nellie. B

ou about in a chair, th

no doubt," answered M

id John in a tone of conviction. "It is splen

. Short." The suggestion did not meet with any enthusiastic re

, was equally far from forgetting them. He was a man more of actions than words. He had been in the habit of monopolising Mrs. Goddard's society for months and he had no intention of relinquishing his claims, even for the charitable purpose of allowing a poor student to enjoy his Christmas holiday and bit of romance undisturbed. If John had presented h