Mrs. Dulcimer wrote an affectionate and sympathetic letter to her dear Bella, and insisted that she should spend a long day at the Vicarage; as if a long day in Mrs. Dulcimer’s society were a balm that must heal the sharpest wound. Bella answered the letter in person, being too wise to commit herself to pen and ink upon so humiliating a subject, and she received Mrs. Dulcimer’s apologies with an unalterable placidity which convinced the worthy matchmaker that there was no harm done. ‘Let us think of the whole affair as a good joke, dear Mrs. Dulcimer,’ said Bella; ‘but let us keep it to ourselves. I hope you have not talked about it to Rebecca.’ Everybody in Little Yafford knew that Rebecca was Mrs. Dulcimer’s _confidante_, and that she had a vivacious tongue. The vicar’s wife blushed, and trifled nervously with her lace rufflings. ‘My love, you cannot suppose that I should say a word about you that ought not to be said,’ she murmured, affectionately. And then Bella knew that Rebecca had been told everything. ‘It is so nice of you to take it in such a sweet-tempered way,’ said Mrs. Dulcimer; ‘and it only confirms my good opinion of you; but I am more angry with _him_ than I can say. You would have suited each other exactly.’ ‘Ah, but you see he does not think so,’ replied Bella, with inward bitterness. ‘I am not his style. He has chosen some one quite different. You have no idea, I suppose, who the lady is?’ ‘Some one he met at Oxford, I don’t doubt. He will live to regret his choice, I daresay. I am almost wicked enough to hope he may. And now, Bella, when will you come and spend a long quiet day with me?’ demanded Mrs. Dulcimer, anxious to administer her balsam. ‘I am hardly ever free now, dear Mrs. Dulcimer. Since Mrs. Piper has been ill she has asked me to help her a little with the housekeeping. She is so unfortunate in her servants, you know, always changing, and that makes her distrustful.’ ‘My dear, Mrs. Piper doesn’t make her servants happy,’ said Mrs. Dulcimer. ‘Servants are like other people; they want to be happy, and nobody can be happy who is being found fault with from morning till night.’ ‘I am afraid it is so,’ assented Bella; ‘poor Mrs. Piper means well, but she is too particular.’ ‘My dear, if I were to find fault with Rebecca three times in a week, she would give me warning; and yet she’s almost like my own flesh and blood. Now, mind, I shall expect you to come and spend a long day with me the first time you find yourself free.’ ‘I shall only be too happy,’ murmured Bella. ‘And I’ll take care you don’t meet Cyril.’ ‘You are so thoughtful.’ ‘Well, dear, I think we were sent into the world to think of other people as well as of ourselves,’ replied the vicar’s wife, with a self-satisfied air. CHAPTER XVI. BELLA GOES ON A VISIT. ‘HERE’S a fine chance for Bella!’ exclaimed Mr. Scratchell, after reading his patron’s curt epistle. ‘She is to go and spend Christmas at the Water House.’