Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1884-04-22

He says he has come for the fishing''
"Fishing in January!'
''Well, if it isn't for that it is for some
thing else. And you can't think how nice
he is looking. And he is so fond of you!
IlO you know you were the very first per-
son he asked for?''
'Did he now!'' said the Doctor, with a
broadly gratifed smile. Then he recol-
lected himself and brought himself back
to proper frame of mind with the help
of dry little cough. ''The Bishop and
Sir Watkyn will be greatly annoyed" he
said.
81 don't care" returned Dulcinea, re-
belliously. "What fault can the Bishop
find with him ?''
"He is not your equal, my dear
81 hope you are not growing worldly"
said Dulcinea, with a severity that to the
poor Doctor sounded very terrible.
"But he IS very poor, my DEAR" he said
faltering, and feeling himself the most
worldly creature on earth.
"And is his poverty the only thing
against him?''
'The Bishop has other objections"
"Oh? know all about that said she,
with superb disdain. II know he has been
meanly trying to spy out some trumpery
little peccadilloes belonging to poor Ger
AIDS Oxford days. 1t is my belief the
Bishop did worse himself when he was at
Oxford. I hate spyp'
"But my dear
'tAnd if Gerald was little bit wild at
college-I-I-think it was delightful of
him! l can t bear goody -goody young men.
| should quite despise him if I thought he
had never done anything he oughtn't to
do"
'Dulcinea, this is horribler' said the
Doctor. eff your guardian
81 know my guardian" with a con
temptuous shrug of her pretty little shoul-
ders. "and you would, too, only you are
too good to fathom his schemes. Do you
think real Christian would forbid two
people to be happy? No, you don't. A
real Christian would help them to be hap
py. And" turning to him suddenly,
with a quick, radiant smile-''you will
help US ?" She spoke with an amount Of
assurance she was far from feeling, but
determined to play her last card with a
high courage. "You will go to the Bishop
yourself and plead for us. He respects you
lit is the only sign of grace about him)
he will listen to you, and you will bring us
back word that you have succeeded. You
will give us that bad old mans blessing;
we shall fall on your neck and embrace you,
and then you will marry u.s."
"Stop-stop," said the Doctor. sI
daren't do this thing. The Bishops face
is set against Gerald, and"
"Then you are to set your face against
the Bishops and turn his in favor of Ger
aid. Yes, you must indeed! Oh, my dear
godfather! you have never refused me any
thing in all my life-do not begin to do so
now: Tell him am sick, dying"
"But, my dear girl, I never saw you
looking better.'
'sNever mind, shall get sick; tell him,
too, that Gerald is such a regular attendant
at church, and that"
81 can't Dulcinea. All last spring,
Sunday after Sunday, I missed his head
in the rectory pew, where he was supposed
to Sit
All the pews in the church at Inchina
bagga were so built that only the heads of
the Pensioners could be seen, staring over
them as if impaled.
perhaps he was there, but sitting low,"
said Dulcinea, mendaciously.
'.No. He wasn't sitting there at all"
said the CuraSe, sorrowfully. ''He was up
the South stream, at OVENS farm, fishing
for trout"
'FWell, even if he was," said Gerald's
sweart-heart boldly, ''surely there was
some excuse for him. Sundays should not
be good fishing days, and on every one of
those mentioned the trout were literally
jumping out of the water and crying to be
caught? He told me SO. Why, the Bishop
himself would have gone fishing on such
days"
81 must request, Dulcinea-''
"Well, if he wouldn't, he would have
been dying to go-it is all the same" said
Miss Vane, airily. "Come, you will go to
the Bishop-you will do what you can for
us, won't you ?'
"What," nervously, 'tam to say if do
go?' Mind, have not promised"
''Say that Geratd is worthier of me than
am of Gerald. That will be good be-
ginning; be sure you say that. Make me
out most peryerse girl, of whom you can
get no good"
Dulcinea," said the Doctor, with mourn
full reproach, Sin all these years have
failed to show you the graciousness Of
truth?'
''Ohl but what is the truth in compari-
son to Gerald ?' said Miss Vane, with an
impatient gesture of the right hand.
Quite overwhelmed by this last proof of
the uselessness of his ministry, DR.. Ball
maintained a crushed silence.
''You will say just what have told you
won't you?" asked Dulcinea, anxious
ly.
81 shall say you have certain faults I
would gladly see amended" said the Gu
rate, sadly: "but cannot bring myself to
malign you, Dulcinea, and of course, the
Bishop knowing you-though slightly
must have formed an opinion of his own
about you.''
'sHe is such an old bore" said Miss .Vane,
irreverently, ''that don't believe he could
form an opinion on any subject" In
which she wronged the Bishop.
81 must beg you won't speak of your
Bishop like that" said the Curate, earn
estly. He has been of much service to the
Church. He is great and good man.
WE'LL" he continued, with sigh, after a
pause, II will go to him and intercede for
you. shall write and ask him for an in
terview-but doubt if good will come OF
it. And what shall do there, in a strange
place, among strange faces, after all these
years ?''
In truth, it seemed a terrible thing to
him, this undertaking. He would have to
leave his home, for the first time those ten
years, and 60 beyond his beloved boundary