"She has made me so anxious that I want you to go home with her for a few weeks." "Go home! And leave you behind! No thank you. It would do me no good at all. Besides, I am perfectly well and don't need a change. What a stupid little thing she is; but do look over her folly and try and like her," said Rachel. "She has such good points. For instance, she is perfectly true." "Possibly," said Luke, smiling; then he added, "I can't say I am exactly enamoured of her." "No, but when you know her better you will see her virtues. I am afraid she has been really impertinent to you." Luke did not answer. He leaned forward and looked at Rachel anxiously. "Are you sure that you are feeling well? Gwen seems to think that you are tired out. Is that the fact?" "Tired out? What with? I have only this tiny house to see after; in fact I don't think I have enough to do." Luke sighed a sigh of relief. "Then I needn't worry?" "Certainly not. Put it right from your mind. It is only a child's nonsense." And Luke did as he was asked and worried no more about her. He left her to write some letters before going to bed, and Rachel sat working; but her thoughts were busy. Although Gwen had talked a great deal of nonsense was there not a grain of truth in some of her words? "A woman can make a man what she wants him to be," she had said: she had evidently read this in a book, it had not come out of her own little head. Rachel supposed there was some truth in the words; and possibly she had been unwise herself in not insisting more that the attentions that had been shown her during her courtship should not be dropped now that they were man and wife. She was afraid that she had unwisely done things herself instead of asking Luke to do them, and then was surprised that he had lost the habit of waiting upon her. She had got in the way of waiting on him and of saving him all extra effort when he came in from his work in the parish. She knew that in Luke's case it was often simply absentmindedness that prevented him seeing of what she was in need at the moment. Once buried in a book nothing would arouse him save her voice; or if he was in the midst of an argument with a fellow clergyman, he would quite unconsciously allow Rachel to help them both to tea though it meant rising from her seat. At times she had felt a little indignant at the two men sitting while she served them; but on the other hand if at her request he handed round the hot tea cake, he would stand with the plate in his hand talking, while the contents got cold, or would absently hold the kettle while Rachel watched in anxiety lest the water should pour out on to the carpet, or on to his foot. It was easier to do these things herself. She had not known that anyone notice these little omissions on Luke's part; but evidently Gwen had taken count of them at once.