‘Who is Miss Blakely?’ he asked wonderingly.

’It’s her that visits the school so often; you’ve seen her time and again.’

‘I recollect,’ he said; ‘but I have not spoken much with her.’

‘That’s just what I said,’ she observed triumphantly.  ’You’d be no more up to courting than cows are up to running races.  Now, as to Miss Blakely, not being as young as some, nor to say good-looking, she might not stand on the ceremony of much courting; if you just wrote her one letter, asking her quite modest, and putting in a few remarks about flowers and that sort of thing, as you could do so well, being clever at writing, I give it as my opinion it’s not unlikely she’d take you out of hand; not every one would, of course, but she has a kind heart, has Miss Blakely.’

‘Kind is she?’ said he, with a tone of interest; ‘and sweet-tempered?’

Mrs. Sims said more in favour of the scheme; it required that she should say much, for the schoolmaster was not to be easily persuaded.  She had, however, three strong arguments in its favour, which she reiterated again and again, with more and more assurance of certitude as she warmed to the subject.  The first point was, that if he did not marry, he must either starve at home or go to the boarding-house, and at the latter place she assured him again, as she had done at first, he would probably soon die.  Her second point was, that no one else would be willing to marry him except Miss Blakely; and her third—­although in this matter she expressed herself with some mysterious caution—­that Miss Blakely would marry him if asked.  Mrs. Sims bridled her head, spoke in lower tones than was her wont, and said that she had the secret of Miss Blakely’s partiality from good authority.  She sighed; and he heard her murmur over her sewing that the heart was always young.  In fact, without saying it in so many words, she gave her listener to understand clearly that Miss Blakely had conceived a very lively affection for him.  And this last, if she had but known it, was the only argument that carried weight, for the schoolmaster could have faced either the prospect of starvation or a lingering death in the rude noise of a boarding-house; but he was tender-hearted, and, moreover, he had a beautiful soul, and supposed all women to be like his mother, whom he had loved with all his strength.

‘You’d better make haste, sir,’ said Mrs. Sims, ’for I must leave on Thursday, and now it’s Saturday night.  There’s not overmuch time for everything—­although, indeed, Mrs. Graham, that goes out charing, might come in and make you your meals for a week, though it will cost you half a quarter’s salary, charing is that expensive in these parts.’