She laughed a little, and moving to the open window, looked out on the quiet beauty of the landscape. "Yes!--I too will become a laughing-stock of the clubs;--and even I may attain the distinction of being accepted as a 'joke by the comie press'! I will be an 'independent and defenceless female,' and see how I get on! In any case I'd rather be defenceless than have Roxmouth as a defender. And I shall not be alone here, now that Cicely is coming. Besides, I have two men friends in the village,--at least, I think I have! I'm sure of one,--old Josey Letherbarrow!" The smile lingered on her lips, as she still looked out on the lawn and terrace, shadowed by the evening dusk, and sweet with the cool perfume of the rising dew. "And the other,--if he should turn out as agreeable as he seemed this morning,--why, he is a tower of strength so far as respectability is concerned! What better protection can an 'independent and defenceless female' have than the minister of the parish? I can go to him for a character, ask him for a reference, throw myself and my troubles upon him as upon a rock, and make him answer for me as an honest and well-intentioned parishioner! And I believe he would 'speak up' for me, as the poor folks say,--yes, my Lord Roxmouth!--I believe he would,--and if he did, I'm certain he would speak straight, and not whisper a few small poisonous lies round the corner! For I think"--and here the train of her reflections wandered away from her aunt and her lordly wooer altogether, "yes,--I think Mr. Walden is a good man! I was not quite sure about him when I first met him,--I thought his eyes seemed deceitful,--so many parsons' eyes are!--but I looked well into them to-day,--and they're not the usual eyes of a parson at all,--they're just the eyes of a British sailor who has watched rough seas all his life,--and such eyes are always true!" XV