and public spirit which Mr. Langley
had always borne.

"As if I had any right to feel proud of
him!" she thought, and then glanced at
Cilla, the real object of her pride; and a
delightful vision began to float before her,
dispersed in a moment as she remembered
how papa would despise such castle building.
Mrs. Lester did not forget her young
charges: she had promised her brother to
be kind to them, and she thoroughly
fulfilled her promise. She had little difficulty
in finding partners for two such attractive
girls; and indeed when Cilla had once
been noticed, her chaperone had numerous
applications for an introduction. Mary's
bright eyes danced with pleasure as she
watched her sister, and Mrs. Lester looked
at her often and with much interest.

"She is the nicest girl I ever saw in my
life," Mrs. Lester thought: "and if it is to
be, I won't forbid the banns. Still it would
be a pity." And she glanced at her brother
who was dancing with a very handsome
girl, daughter to one of the county
magnates.

It was not until late in the evening that
Mr. Langley came up to Mary again.

Cilla, who had just been dancing, was
resting on a seat, looking flushed and weary,
but full of enjoyment. Mary had had her
share of dancing too; Harry alone had found
the evening rather slow.

"Won't you come and have something
to eat? The hall is open now."

Mary and Mr. Langley passed into the
conservatory, which opened also into the
hall, now converted into a supper-room.

"What a crowd of people!" he said,
pausing. "Don't you think it would be
better to stay here among the orange-trees
than to plunge into that hungry multitude?
Shall I get you something? An ice?"

"If you please," said Mary, and they
were soon comfortably established on two
low green seats in the conservatory. The
coloured lamps twinkled among the dark
foliage, bright figures passed and repassed,
a soft continuous ripple of voice and laughter
mingled with the music from the ballroom.

"I have been trying to get near you all
this evening, but I have been obliged to
attend to so many people. I hope my sister
has taken care of you."

"She has been so very kind, and my sister
and I have enjoyed ourselves extremely."

"I suppose it is her first ball—and yours
too. Is it?"

Mary laughed:

"Our first, and probably our last. You
do not know what a treat you have given
us: it was so very kind of you and Mrs.
Lester to think of asking us."

"Kind?" he repeated, smiling; "it was
very kind of you to come, I think."

"By-the-by," asked Mary, suddenly,
"what did you mean by asking me if we
had heard something?"

"You have not heard it, evidently," said
Mr. Langley, hesitating. "I am sorry I
said anything about it. Is there no second
post at Farley?"

"Not unless we send to Brigham."

"That accounts for it; they wrote to
tell me as soon as it happened. Poor old
Dr. Lowther died yesterday morning."

Mary felt shocked.

"I had no idea he was really ill," she
said in an awe-struck voice.

"It is the old story of boy and wolf,"
said Mr. Langley. "Poor old fellow! I
really fancy he might have lived to ninety
if he could have thought less about his
health; but a man can't go on taking
physic all his life without taking too much
of it at last."

"Poor Dr. Lowther! I hardly knew him,
but he used to be kind to us when we were
little. Once he gave me a prayer-book. I
wonder," Mary added, after a pause, "who
our new rector will be!"

Mr. Langley hesitated. Mary looked
up, and saw something in his face which
made her fancy that her remark had been
somehow mal-apropos.

"I beg your pardon," she said,
instinctively.

"For what?" he asked, amused by her
perplexity; "I only thought that perhaps
you knew the Farley living to be in my
gift. I bought it with the Nettlehurst
estate. I hoped—I do hope—" Mr. Langley
hesitated. "Do you think that Mr.
Mackworth would kindly undertake the
responsibility? He has long done all the work,
I know."

Mary's breath was absolutely taken away
by surprise and emotion. She looked up
with a wondering, incredulous gaze: then
tried to speak; then stopped, and nearly
broke down altogether. Mr. Langley
brought her a glass of water.

"I am ashamed of myself," she said, as
soon as she could; then his looks of warm
interest encouraging her to speak frankly,
she went on. "But you don't know the
relief! You don't know what life has been
all these years for papa and mamma, Cilla
and Harry. They will thank you better than