"With all the advantages of Avoncester at hand?" inquired Alick, with a

certain gleam under his flaxen eyelashes that convinced Ermine that he

said it in mischief. But Rachel drew herself up gravely, and answered-"In Lady Temple's situation any such thing would be most inconsistent

with good feeling."

"Such as the cathedral?" calmly, not to say sleepily, inquired Alick,

to the excessive diversion of Ermine, who saw that Rachel had never been

laughed at in her life, and was utterly at a loss what to make of it.

"If you meant the cathedral," she said, a little uncertainly,

recollecting the tone in which Mr. Clare had just been spoken of, and

thinking that perhaps Miss Keith might be a curatolatress, "I am afraid

it is not of much benefit to people living at this distance, and there

is not much to be said for the imitation here."

"You will see what my sister says to it. She only wants training to be

the main strength of the Bishopsworthy choir, and perhaps she may find

it here."

Rachel was evidently undecided whether chants or marches were Miss

Keith's passion, and, perhaps, which propensity would render the young

lady the most distasteful to herself. Ermine thought it merciful to

divert the attack by mentioning Mr. Clare's love of music, and hoping

his curate could gratify it. "No," Mr. Keith said, "it was very unlucky

that Mr. Lifford did not know one note from another; so that his vicar

could not delude himself into hoping that his playing on his violin

was anything but a nuisance to his companion, and in spite of all

the curate's persuasions, he only indulged himself therewith on

rare occasions." But as Ermine showed surprise at the retention of

a companion devoid of this sixth sense, so valuable to the blind, he

added--"No one would suit him so well. Mr. Lifford has been with him

ever since his sight began to fail, and understands all his ways."

"Yes, that makes a great difference."

"And," pursued the young man, coming to something like life as he talked

of his uncle, "though he is not quite all that a companion might be, my

uncle says there would be no keeping the living without him, and I do

not believe there would, unless my uncle would have me instead."

Ermine laughed and looked interested, not quite knowing what other

answer to make. Rachel lifted up her eyebrows in amazement.

"Another advantage," added Alick, who somehow seemed to accept Ermine

as one of the family, "is, that he is no impediment to Bessie's living

there, for, poor man, he has a wife, but insane."

"Then your sister will live there?" said Rachel. "What an enviable

position, to have the control of means of doing good that always falls

to the women of a clerical family."




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