“We are interrupted now.  I am afraid that the rest of this interview must be postponed.”  It should never be renewed, though he might have to leave the country forever.  Of that he gave himself assurance.  Then the parson was shown into the room.

The constrained introduction was very painful to Mr. Prosper, but was not at all disagreeable to the lady.  “Mr. Annesley knows me very well.  We are quite old friends.  Joe is going to marry his eldest girl.  I hope Molly is quite well.”  The rector said that Molly was quite well.  When he had come away from home just now he had left Joe at the parsonage.  “You’ll find him there a deal oftener than at the brewery,” said Miss Thoroughbung.  “You know what we’re going to do, Mr. Annesley.  There are no fools like old fools.”  A thunder-black cloud came across Mr. Prosper’s face.  That this woman should dare to call him an old fool!  “We were discussing a few of our future arrangements.  We’ve arranged everything about money in the most amicable manner, and now there is merely a question of a pair of ponies.”

“We need not trouble Mr. Annesley about that, I think.”

“And Miss Tickle!  I’m sure the rector will agree with me that old friends like me and Miss Tickle ought not to be separated.  And it isn’t as though there was any dislike between them, because he has already said that he finds Miss Tickle charming.”

“D——­ Miss Tickle!” he said; whereupon the rector looked astonished, and Miss Thoroughbung jumped a foot from off the ground.  “I beg the lady’s pardon,” said Mr. Prosper, piteously, “and yours, Miss Thoroughbung,—­and yours, Mr. Annesley.”  It was as though a new revelation of character had been given.  No one except Matthew had ever heard the Squire of Buston swear.  And with Matthew the cursings had been by no means frequent, and had been addressed generally to some article of his clothing, or to some morsel of food prepared with less than the usual care.  But now the oath had been directed against a female, and the chosen friend of his betrothed.  And it had been uttered in the presence of a clergyman, his brother-in-law, and the rector of his parish.  Mr. Prosper felt that he was disgraced forever.  Could he have overheard them laughing over his ebullition in the drawing-room half an hour afterward, and almost praising his violence, some part of the pain might have been removed.  As it was he felt at the time that he was disgraced forever.

“We will return to the subject when next we meet,” said Miss Thoroughbung.

“I am very sorry that I should so far have forgotten myself,” said Mr. Prosper, “but—­”

“It does not signify,—­not as far as I am concerned;” and she made a little motion to the clergyman, half bow and half courtesy.  Mr. Annesley bowed in return, as though declaring that neither did it signify very much as far as he was concerned.  Then she left the room, and Matthew handed her into the carriage, when she took the ponies in hand with quite as much composure as though her friend had not been sworn at.