So John sat down to write to his poor little May when he got to his own room, and then started out across the park to post his letter at the nearest post office. He walked on with a bent head and a thoughtful brow. He was dissatisfied with himself, irresolute, and yet his heart was warm with love. In his letter he had asked May to fix some place where he could see her, but he was fated to meet her earlier than he expected. May and her brothers had walked home from church, May feeling somewhat disappointed that she had not had an opportunity of exchanging a word with John Temple, but still she was ready to excuse him. "He could not help himself; he was obliged to go with his uncle's wife," she told herself. But still it made her a little sad. It marked the social difference between them, as it were. If she had been his equal, and John had meant to make her his wife, he would assuredly have lingered to speak to her. As it was he could not help himself, but May sighed when she thought of it. Then, when they reached home, Mrs. Churchill made herself purposely very unpleasant to her stepdaughter. "That's a very absurd hat of yours, May," she said. "I don't know what the folks in church would say to it." It was in truth a charming hat, though only suited to a lovely face. It became May exceedingly, and she had been conscious of this when she had started in the morning with her brothers; conscious perhaps of it when she saw John Temple's gray eyes looking upward to the gallery, for she loved to think that she should seem fair in his sight, and now to hear it descried! "I think it is a very pretty hat," she answered, somewhat indignantly. "To go on the stage with, perhaps, but not for a respectable farmer's daughter to appear at church in," continued Mrs. Churchill. May slightly tossed her pretty head, and walked indignantly out of the room. She had no idea of leaving off wearing her new hat, which had just cost her two pounds, on account of her stepmother's remarks. And immediately the early dinner was over she called to her two young brothers to go out for a walk with her, and wore the picture hat in spite of Mrs. Churchill.