Ralph found that he was to ride the “clay-bank mare,” the only one of the horses that would “carry double,” and that consequently he would have to take Miss Hawkins behind him.  If it had been Hannah instead, Ralph might not have objected to this “young Lochinvar” mode of riding with a lady on “the croup,” but Martha Hawkins was another affair.  He had only this consolation; his keeping the company of Miss Hawkins might serve to disarm the resentment of Bud.  At all events, he had no choice.  What designs the Squire had in this arrangement he could not tell; but the clay-bank mare carried him to meeting on that December morning, with Martha Hawkins behind.  And as Miss Hawkins was not used to this mode of locomotion, she was in a state of delightful fright every time the horse sank to the knees in the soft, yellow Flat Creek clay.

“We don’t go to church so at the East,” she said.  “The mud isn’t so deep at the East.  When I was to Bosting—­” but Ralph never heard what happened when she was to Bosting, for just as she said Bosting the mare put her foot into a deep hole molded by the foot of the Squire’s horse, and already full of muddy water.

As the mare’s foot went twelve inches down into this track, the muddy water spurted higher than Miss Hawkins’s head, and mottled her dress with golden spots of clay.  She gave a little shriek, and declared that she had never “seen it so at the East.”

The journey seemed a little long to Ralph, who found that the subjects upon which he and Miss Hawkins could converse were few; but Miss Martha was determined to keep things going, and once, when the conversation had died out entirely, she made a desperate effort to renew it by remarking, as they met a man on horseback, “That horse switches his tail just as they do at the East.  When I was to Bosting I saw horses switch their tails just that way.”

What surprised Ralph was to see that Flat Creek went to meeting.  Everybody was there—­the Meanses, the Joneses, the Bantas, and all the rest.  Everybody on Flat Creek seemed to be there, except the old wooden-legged basket-maker.  His family was represented by Shocky, who had come, doubtless, to get a glimpse of Hannah, not to hear Mr. Bosaw preach.  In fact, few were thinking of the religious service.  They went to church as a common resort to hear the news, and to find out what was the current sensation.

On this particular morning there seemed to be some unusual excitement.  Ralph perceived it as he rode up.  An excited crowd, even though it be at a church-door on Sunday morning, can not conceal its agitation.  Ralph deposited Miss Hawkins on the stile, and then got down himself, and paid her the closest attention to the door.  This attention was for Bud’s benefit.  But Bud only stood with his hands in his pockets, scowling worse than ever.  Ralph did not go in at the door.  It was not the Flat Creek custom.  The men gossiped outside, while the women chatted within.  Whatever