"I daresay she is stronger than she looks. I wanted to congratulate her on the success of her efforts. The choir really sang remarkably well. I was feeling quite anxious about it as I knew how keen her disappointment would be if it turned out a failure. I thought it so plucky of her to walk all that way to fetch those girls." "How far did she walk?" enquired Luke. It struck Mrs. Stone that it was rather queer that she seemed able to give him more information about his wife than he had already; but then perhaps Rachel had not had time to tell him about her afternoon's work. "The girls she found up lived all over the town. She must have run part of the way; that is to say if she got home in time to give you your tea. But nothing would daunt her. She was so bent on you having a choir to-night. I don't know many wives who would have taken that trouble even if it had not been pouring with rain. I thought it very plucky and very devoted of her. But I must leave you here. Please ask her to run in to-morrow, that is to say if she has not caught cold, and tell me all her experiences. I don't suppose she has had time to tell them to you yet." Luke hurried home full of remorse. So Rachel had been running risks for him and he had never thanked her, nor asked a single question as to what she had been doing. All the thanks she had had for her love and devotion had been severe criticism and vexation on his part. He had felt that she had needed a lesson so as to guard her against any mistakes she might be inclined to make in the future; and he had given her the lesson in no tender frame of mind. She must be either tired or feeling ill as she had not waited for him; or worse still, she might be too pained with his criticism of her conduct to meet him as if nothing had happened between them. Luke hurried home in no easy frame of mind. That he could ever have willingly given her a moment's pain was a terrible thought to him. The mistress had gone to bed with a headache, Polly informed him, but she hoped that the master would not forget to eat a good supper. Luke sprang upstairs two steps at a time and opened Rachel's bedroom door. The blinds were up, and the moon, which had just emerged from a dark cloud, lighted up the room and was shining full on her face. Luke stood and looked at her, and as he looked he could not think how he could ever have felt vexed with her and have spoken to her so coldly and severely. At first he thought she was asleep; but then he noticed a tear slowly coursing its way down her face. Kneeling down by the bed he took her in his arms. No words were spoken, but the silence said more than any number of words could have expressed. Both felt that explanations were unnecessary, for Rachel knew that his action was meant to express both sorrow and remorse for his want of appreciation of her efforts on his behalf, and her own pride was conquered by love. The subject of the girls' choir was never mentioned again between them.