Mrs. Dusautoy’s wicked glance had so nearly demolished the restraint on her friend’s dimples, that she turned her back on her, and commended the finish of a solitary downy feather that lay detached beside the bird.

‘My maxim is truth to nature, at any cost of pains,’ said the youth, not exactly gratified, for homage was his native element, but graciously proceeding to point out the merits of the composition.

Albinia’s composure could endure no more, and she took her leave, Mr. Dusautoy coming down the hill with her to repeat, and this time somewhat wistfully,

‘A fine lad, is he not, poor fellow?’

With perfect sincerity, she could praise his good looks.

’He has had a quantity of sad stuff thrust on him by the people who have been about his poor mother,’ said Mr. Dusautoy.  ’She could never bear to part with him, and no wonder, poor thing; and she must have let a very odd sort of people get about her abroad—­they’ve flattered that poor lad to the top of his bent, you see, but he’s a very good boy for all that, very warm-hearted.’

’He must be very amiable for his mother to have been able to manage him all this while.’

‘Just what I say!’ cried the Vicar, his honest face clearing.  ’Many youths would have run into all that is bad, brought up in that way; but only consider what disadvantages he has had!  When we get him to see his real standing a little better—­I say, could not you let us have your young people to come up this evening, have a little music, and make it lively?  I suppose Fanny and I are growing old, though I never thought so before.  Will you come, Lucy, there’s a good girl, and bring your brother and sister?  The lads must be capital friends.’

Lucy promised with sparkling eyes, and the Vicar strode off, saying he should depend on the three.

Gilbert ‘supposed he was in for it,’ but ‘did not see the use of it,’ he was sick of the name of ‘that polysyllable,’ and ’should see enough of him when Mr. Hope came, worse luck.’

The result of the evening was, that Lacy was enraptured at the discovery that this most accomplished hero sang Italian songs to the loveliest guitar in the world, and was very much offended with Sophy for wishing to know whether mamma really thought him so very clever.

Immediately after the Ordination arrived Mr. Hope, a very youthful, small, and delicate-looking man, whom Mr. Dusautoy could have lifted as easily as his own Fanny, with short sight, timid nature, scholarly habits, weak nerves, and an inaudible voice.

Of great intellect, having read deeply, and reading still more deeply, he had the utmost dread of ladies, and not even his countrywoman, Mrs. Dusautoy, could draw him out.  He threw his whole soul into the work, winning the hearts of the infant-school and the old women, but discomfiting the congregation by the weakness of his voice, and the length and depth of his sermons.  There was one in especial which very few heard, and no one entered into except Sophy, who held an hour’s argument over it with her father, till they arrived at such lengthy names of heresies, that poor grandmamma asked if it were right to talk Persian on a Sunday evening.