With this promise, highly satisfied, the assembly broke up. Mrs. Starling declared afterwards to her daughter, that if there had been any more fashions to talk about they would never have got done supper. But now bonnets were put on, and work put up, and one after another family party went off in its particular farm waggon or buggy. It was but just sundown; the golden glory of the sky was giving a mellow illumination to all the land, as one after another the horses were unhitched, the travellers mounted into their vehicles, and the wheels went softly rolling off over the smooth road. The minister stood by the gate, helping the ladies to untie and mount, giving pleasant words along with pleasant help, and receiving many expressions of pleasure in return. "Dear me, Mr. Masters!" said Miss Barry, the last one, "ain't you afraid you'll catch cold, standing there with no hat on?" "Cold always attacks the weakest part, Miss Barry. My head is safe." "Well, I declare!" said Miss Barry. "I never heerd that afore." And as she drove off in her little green waggon, the minister and Diana, who had come down to the gate to see the last one off, indulged in a harmless laugh. Then they both stood still by the fence a moment, resting; the hush was so sweet. The golden glory was fading; the last creak of Miss Barry's wheels was getting out of hearing; the air was perfumed with the scents which the dew called forth. "Isn't it delicious?" said the minister, leaning on the little gate, and pushing his hair back from his forehead. "The stillness is pleasant," said Diana. "Yet you must have enough of that?" "Yes--sometimes," said the girl. She was a little shy of speaking her thoughts to the minister; indeed, she was not accustomed to speak them to anybody, not knowing where they could meet entertainment. She wondered Mr. Masters did not go like the rest; however, it was pleasant enough to stand there talking to him. "What do you do for books here?" he went on. "O, I have all my father's books," said Diana. "My father was a minister, Mr. Masters; and when he died his books came to me." "A theological library!" said Mr. Masters. "Yes. I suppose you would call it so." "Have you it _here?_" "Yes. I have it in my room up-stairs. All one end of the room full." "Do you read these books?" "Yes. They are all I have to read. I have not read the whole of them." "No, I suppose not. Do you not find this reading rather heavy?" "I don't know. Some of the books are rather heavy; I do not read those much." "You must let me look at your library some day, Miss Diana. It would be certain to have charms for me; and I'll exchange with you. Perhaps I have books that you would not find heavy." Diana's full grey eyes turned on the minister with a gleam of gratitude and pleasure. Her words were not needed to say that she would like that kind of barter. "So your father was a clergyman?" Mr. Masters went on.