"I don't wish it at all," said the minister, giving a somewhat longing look at the green wilderness before them, of which the lovely hilly outlines were all that the gathering twilight left distinct. "But the thing is, Di, I cannot play when I ought to be working." It made little difference to Diana. Indeed, she had a hope that in her new home she would find, as she always had found in her old home, engrossing duties that would make her part easier to get through, and in some measure put a check to the rush of thought and feeling. So with her full consent the very next day they set out upon their journey home. It was not a great journey, indeed; a long day's drive would do it; their horse was fresh, and they had time for a comfortable rest and dinner at mid-day. The afternoon was very fair, and as they began to get among the hills overlooking Pleasant Valley, something in air or light reminded Diana of the time, two years ago, when she had gone up the brook with Evan. She began to talk to get rid of her thoughts. "What a nice, comfortable little carriage this is, Basil! Where did it come from?" "From Boston." "From Boston! I thought there was nothing like it in Pleasant Valley, that ever I saw. But how did you get it from Boston?" "Where's the difficulty?" said the minister, sitting at ease sideways on the front seat and looking in at her. He had put Diana on the back seat, that she might take a more resting position than there was room for beside him. "Why, it's so far." "Railway comes to Manchester. I received it there, and that is only ten miles. I rode Saladin over a few days ago, and drove him back. I had ordered the set of harness sent with the rockaway. Ecco!" "Echo?" said Diana. "Where?" "A very sweet echo," said the minister, smiling. "Didn't you hear it?" "No. But Basil, do you mean that this carriage is yours?" "No; it is yours." "Mine! then you have bought it! Didn't it cost a great deal?" "I thought not. If you like it, certainly not." "O, Basil, you are very good!" said Diana humbly. "But indeed I do not want you to go to any expense, ever, for me." "I am not a poor man, Diana." "Aren't you? I thought you were." "What right had you to think anything about it?" "I thought ministers were always poor." "I am an exception, then." "And--Basil--you never acted like a rich man." "I am not going to, Di. Do you want to act like a rich woman?" Spite of her desperate downheartedness, Diana could not help laughing a little at his manner. "I do not wish anything different from you," she answered. "It is best for every reason, if you would use money to advantage in a place like this, not to make a show of it. And in other places, if you would use it to advantage, you _cannot_ make a show of it. So it comes to the same thing. But short of that, Di, we can do what we like." "I know what you like,"--she said. "I shall find out what you like. In the first place, where do you think you are going?"