‘And so that little affair couldn’t come off?’ said Hugh at their first family meeting.

‘It was a pity,’ said Mrs Stanbury, plaintively.  She had been very plaintive on the subject.  What a thing it would have been for her, could she have seen Dorothy so well established!

‘There’s no help for spilt milk, mother,’ said Hugh.  Mrs Stanbury shook her head.

‘Dorothy was quite right,’ said Priscilla.

‘Of course she was right,’ said Hugh.  ’Who doubts her being right?  Bless my soul!  “What’s any girl to do if she don’t like a man except to tell him so?” I honour you, Dolly, not that I ever should have doubted you.  You’re too much of a chip of the old block to say you liked a man when you didn’t.’

‘He is a very excellent young man,’ said Mrs Stanbury.

’An excellent fiddlestick, mother.  Loving and liking don’t go by excellence.  Besides, I don’t know about his being any better than anybody else, just because he’s a clergyman.’

‘A clergyman is more likely to be steady than other men,’ said the mother.

‘Steady, yes; and as selfish as you please.’

‘Your father was a clergyman, Hugh.’

’I don’t mean to say that they are not as good as others; but I won’t have it that they are better.  They are always dealing with the Bible, till they think themselves apostles.  But when money comes up; or comfort, or for the matter of that either, a pretty woman with a little money, then they are as human as the rest of us.’

If the truth had been told on that occasion, Hugh Stanbury would have had to own that he had written lately two or three rather stinging articles in the ‘Daily Record,’ as ’to the assumed merits and actual demerits of the clergy of the Church of England.’  It is astonishing how fluent a man is on a subject when he has lately delivered himself respecting it in this fashion.

Nothing on that evening was said about the Clock House, or about Priscilla’s intentions.  Priscilla was up early on the next morning, intending to discuss it in the garden with Hugh before breakfast; but Hugh was aware of her purpose and avoided her.  It was his intention to speak first to his mother; and though his mother was, as he knew, very much in awe of her daughter, he thought that he might carry his point, at any rate for the next three months, by forcing an assent from the elder lady.  So he managed to waylay Mrs Stanbury before she descended to the parlour.

‘We can’t afford it, my dear, indeed we can’t,’ said Mrs Stanbury.

’That’s not the question, mother.  The rent must be paid up to Christmas, and you can live here as cheap as you can anywhere.’

‘But Priscilla—­’

’Oh, Priscilla!  Of course we know what Priscilla says.  Priscilla has been writing to me about it in the most sensible manner in the world; but what does it all come to?  If you are ashamed of taking assistance from me, I don’t know who is to do anything for anybody.  You are comfortable here?’