'Will you allow me to take wine with you and wish you success, sir?' said Mr Gwynne. 'Who knows but we may see you Bishop of London some day? Miss Hall, Freda, will you join us?' Mr Gwynne became quite animated. He felt proud that the son of his most respectable tenant should be going to take a London curacy. Freda bent rather less stiffly than usual to Mr Rowland Prothero. She was annoyed with herself for feeling more inclined to be friendly with him since she had heard that he was intimate with young Neville, and was to be ordained by the Bishop of London. There was more conversation, which it is unnecessary to repeat; but in due course of time the ladies retired to the drawing-room, where they found Miss Nugent awaiting them. 'Whose _beaux yeux_ do you think we have in the dining-room?' asked Freda. 'I am thure I cannot gueth; perhapth Thir Hugh Prythe's,' Miss Nugent lisped. 'Do you call his _beaux yeux_? Little ferret eyes like his! No; guess again.' 'Young Rithe Rithe?' 'Wrong again.' 'Not Captain Lewith?' 'Some one much nearer home.' 'I do not know any one elthe, exthept that Mr Howel Jenkinth, who, they thay, will be quite a grand man.' 'I do not even know him. What do you think of his cousin, Mr Rowland Prothero?' 'I never thought about him; mamma thayth he ith very handthome, but I am thure he is very _gauche_ and countrified.' 'Oh, I am sure he is not. You are greatly mistaken, he has been in excellent society, and is going at once to a London living--curacy I mean, but it is all the same.' Miss Hall looked rather amazed at Freda. A few hours before she had been lamenting the necessity of entertaining that 'stupid young Prothero.' 'Ith he really?' said Miss Nugent. 'The London curateth are tho interething. There ith one at Tht Jameth'th, with a pale face and black hair, and thuch a beautiful voice. Ith Mr Prothero going to Tht Jameth'th?' 'You shall ask him yourself; I daresay he will like you to seem interested.' 'Are you going to Tht Jameth'th, Mr Prothero?' inquired Miss Nugent, when that young man entered the room shortly after. 'I beg your pardon, I do not quite understand what you mean.' 'Mith Gwynne thaid you were going to a London curacy; I thought it might be Tht Jameth'th.' 'I believe not. If I go to London I shall probably be in the city--a very different locality to St James's.' 'Oh! when we are in town we alwayth go to Tht Jameth'th, it ith thuch a nice church.' Freda perceived that Miss Nugent's interest fell as soon as she found that Rowland was going into the city. She also saw a smile lurking about Rowland's mouth when he said,-- 'I have never been in London; but I suppose St James's is one of the fashionable parts.' 'Oh yeth, very. Numberth of grand people go to Tht Jameth'th; don't you with you were going to be curate there instead of the thity?' Rowland was grave in a moment.