‘I am thure I cannot gueth; perhapth Thir Hugh Prythe’s,’ Miss Nugent lisped.

’Do you call his beaux yeux?  Little ferret eyes like his!  No; guess again.’

‘Young Rithe Rithe?’

‘Wrong again.’

‘Not Captain Lewith?’

‘Some one much nearer home.’

’I do not know any one elthe, exthept that Mr Howel Jenkinth, who, they thay, will be quite a grand man.’

’I do not even know him.  What do you think of his cousin, Mr Rowland Prothero?’

’I never thought about him; mamma thayth he ith very handthome, but I am thure he is very gauche and countrified.’

’Oh, I am sure he is not.  You are greatly mistaken, he has been in excellent society, and is going at once to a London living—­curacy I mean, but it is all the same.’

Miss Hall looked rather amazed at Freda.  A few hours before she had been lamenting the necessity of entertaining that ‘stupid young Prothero.’

‘Ith he really?’ said Miss Nugent.  ’The London curateth are tho interething.  There ith one at Tht Jameth’th, with a pale face and black hair, and thuch a beautiful voice.  Ith Mr Prothero going to Tht Jameth’th?’

’You shall ask him yourself; I daresay he will like you to seem interested.’

‘Are you going to Tht Jameth’th, Mr Prothero?’ inquired Miss Nugent, when that young man entered the room shortly after.

‘I beg your pardon, I do not quite understand what you mean.’

’Mith Gwynne thaid you were going to a London curacy; I thought it might be Tht Jameth’th.’

’I believe not.  If I go to London I shall probably be in the city—­a very different locality to St James’s.’

’Oh! when we are in town we alwayth go to Tht Jameth’th, it ith thuch a nice church.’

Freda perceived that Miss Nugent’s interest fell as soon as she found that Rowland was going into the city.  She also saw a smile lurking about Rowland’s mouth when he said,—­

’I have never been in London; but I suppose St James’s is one of the fashionable parts.’

’Oh yeth, very.  Numberth of grand people go to Tht Jameth’th; don’t you with you were going to be curate there instead of the thity?’

Rowland was grave in a moment.

’I should wish to labour wherever there is the largest field to work in, Miss Nugent, whether in the city or St James’s.’

’Yeth, to be sure, I believe there are loths of poor people in Tht Jameth’th.  I onthe went by chance into thuch a nathty alley clothe by Tht Jameth’th Threet.  Thuch dirty children!’

‘Alas,’ said Miss Hall, coming to the rescue of Rowland, who was looking quite distressed, ’we cannot go many steps in the London parishes, be they fashionable or unfashionable, without entering a “vineyard” amply wide enough for any one who wishes to work in it, whether priest or layman.’

Rowland looked round brightly and pleasantly at Miss Hall.  Freda could not help noticing the sudden animation in a face that she had considered a minute ago almost heavy.