Pieces of bread and butter of somewhat undue solidity were offered.  Emily ’declined anything but the cup of tea.  She was very ill at ease, though she succeeded in suppressing any manifestation of it; Dagworthy kept his gaze on her constantly.

‘Now I know you didn’t care very much about the dogs,’ he said to her presently.  ’I think I’ve got something here that will be rather more in your line.’

He brought from a corner of the room a large portfolio, set it upon a chair in front of Emily, and exposed its contents.  These were a number of fine photographs of continental cathedrals and churches.

’I bought these when I took my run through France and Germany last year,’ he explained.  ’I’ve something of a turn for architecture, I believe; at all events, I know I like a fine building, and I like to find out all I can about it.’

He went through the collection, with remarks which proved that he had certainly attained a rudimentary knowledge of the subject, and that his appreciation was often keen when his technical understanding might be at fault.

‘The worst of it is,’ he said, at one point, with a modesty which was a new feature in his conversation, ’I can’t pronounce the names properly.  Now, how do you read that, Miss Hood?  To be sure; I know it when I hear it.  Have you ever been in France?’

The negative reply came.

’You’d like to see the old-fashioned streets in which some of these churches stand.’

As soon as it was possible to do so, Emily looked meaningly at her father, and he, just as anxious to be on his way homeward, rose for leave-taking.  Dagworthy offered no opposition; he went with them to the gates, and shook hands with both, then stood gazing after them as they walked across the common.

‘Well, I never knew young Dagworthy anything like that before,’ said Mr. Hood, when they were at some distance from the gate.  ’I couldn’t believe it when he asked us to go into the house.’

‘I’m afraid mother will be very uneasy,’ was Emily’s reply.

’Yes, my dear, I’m afraid she will; let’s walk sharply.  But he was really uncommonly pleasant; I shall think a good deal better of him than I have done.’

This was the only aspect of the afternoon’s adventure which presented itself to Mr. Hood.  Emily was divided between relief at having got away from that persistent gaze and apprehension of what might meet them on their arrival at home.  The latter feeling was only too well justified.  Mrs. Hood sat in the kitchen, the window darkened.  When speech was at length elicited from her, it appeared that a headache to which she was subject had come on in its severest form.  Emily was at once active with remedies, not that any of those that she urged were likely to avail themselves, but because she was well aware that the more solicitude she showed the sooner her mother would resume her ordinary state.  Mrs. Hood begged to be left to herself; let them have