Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-05-28
CHAPTER VI.

Stick, gloves and hat all held in one hand,
the other hand already raised for the com
mencement of his speech so the perturbed
clergyman broke into Mrs. Barbara Temples
drawing room. He saw what might have
Gained his mind. The three girls were stand
ing in a group admirng drawing which
Sihyl has just been buying, and their mother
was deep in "A novel The girls looked up,
and the merry rector was a favorte in the
house each fair face turned to smiles at sight
of him. Such rays ought to have melted the
angry man into kindness; but no influence,
kind or stern, could have quieted him just
then.
Young ladies" he said, abruptly address
ing the graceful three, "my business is with
your mother-alone."
This odd intimation, considering the ex-
cited manner in which he made it, meant
they thought, one thing only. Lightly they
vanished from the room, but even i'll going
they glanced significantly at each other; for
the subject was so interesting that they could
not delay an exchange of ideas even till they
got outside the door. The rector was going
to propose to mammal
Mamma thought so, too. She was not often
deceived, either by her eyes or her ears, but
for once she fancied that the tremor in the
rector's voice, his flushed cheek, his alcoholic
manner, were signs of lovers uneasiness-
Indeed, as to the manner, she without any
hesitation explained it as arising from wine.
Ii was still early in the afternoon, but Mrs.
Barbara Temple was not angry. Teetotalism
was not vet fashionable and the little woman
remarked to herself: They very often give
themselves flip in that way before coming
to the point. Pity when they overdo it-and
yet don't know"
The rector might be fustered, but Mrs
Barbara Temple was calm and pleasant
She motioned him to a seat-not upon her
own sofa, but close to it; and then, laying
down her novel, she turned upon him with
her most gracious air
Automatically $50 we say in this scientific
age he sat down, and, still to continue the
scientific style, by the actions of the law of
gravitation his hat, gloves and cane, which
he let go, went their different ways to the
floor He did not notice the fall, and Mrs
Temple began inly to compute how many
glasses he must have taken.
81 hope he has not gone too far" the pru-
dent woman said to herself; and her hope
grew less and less as the rector regarded her
with his red, confused visage, saying nothing
for quite minute. Then he spoke:
MRS. Temple" he said, II this morning re-
ceived tremendous lesson in the hollownessI
OF the world'
Mrs. Barbara Temple was not greatly
skilled in metaphorical language, especially
the pulpit Sort but as she knew that her Wis
itor was not the sort Of person to make re-
searches into the interior of the physical
globe, she had no great difficulty in under
standing that he spoke of the human kind
under this universal symbol,
well we'll she said, shaking her head,
-that very often happens. The best thing is
to be prepared for it Don't expect too much
of men and women, and you will learn to be
good -humored over their seltishness and
hypocrisy After all, are We much better
ourselvesi AT any rate, let us keep our
temper
She stroked her dress at these words, brush
ing off some imaginary dust and, looking up
at the clergyman, she smiled
That, the clergyman said solennly lis
terribly frivolous view to take Of so serious a
subject" Then, seeing the woman of the
world elevate her eyebrows and smile more
contemptuously than before, he added;
Especially when the fault is our own"
He looked at her SO directly, and with such
anger, that she was quite puzzled This
could not he the opening passage of an offer
Of marriage; and what could II bo, Mrs.
Temple, however, had faces and manners for
all complications.
"Alr Brent, 80 she said, with lust the faint
est sign OF distance about her, such as could
either be eiraced or deepened according az