"Yes; my boy Hammond! the finest fellow in the regiment, though I say it, who should not. Do you think that I, his father, would expose him to such danger as to throw him into the society of a set of fascinating young women who have chosen to emancipate themselves from all conventionality, and who call themselves--stuff and rubbish!--dressmakers?" "Not call themselves, so: they are excellent dressmakers!" was Archie's somewhat malicious reply. "All the more reason that my son should not know them!" thundered the old man. "What, sir! an officer in one of her Majesty's regiments--the son and grandson of officers,--is such a one to be mixed up with a family that has lost caste,--to flirt with or make love to girls who are not above making gowns for my butcher's wife? Before Hammond does such a thing as that----" And here the colonel paused from excess of emotion. "You are perfectly right to defend your son from such danger," returned the young clergyman with covert sarcasm. "In your case I should probably feel the same. But, in my position, being intimate with those ladies of whom you speak, and having had good opportunity to form my opinions of them, I cannot help saying, in their defence, that even your son, excellent officer as he is,--and, I am sure, a most worthy young man,--would scarcely be dishonored by an alliance with the finest young gentlewomen I ever met!" And, as he said this, with all due gravity, Archie released his arm, and, with a farewell nod, went off, leaving the colonel, open-mouthed and gasping with astonishment, at his own gate. Elizabeth met him on the threshold. "Oh, father, why did you not bring Mr. Drummond in!" she said, reproachfully; "it is so long since he has paid us a visit." "Poor Drummond!" replied the colonel, with a mournful shake of his head: "it is just as I thought. He has almost owned it, in fact. He is seriously smitten with one of those Challoner girls, and before long there will be a wedding in the place." "Now, father, this is just one of your whimsies," replied Elizabeth, placidly. "Mr. Drummond is going to have his favorite sister, Grace, to live with him and keep his house. He told me so himself; and that does not look as though he expected to bring home a wife. So you may just put this idea out of your head." But, though Elizabeth was well aware of the truth of her words, that no new mistress was to come to the vicarage, still her fine sympathy and unerring woman's divination had read the meaning of the young vicar's clouded brow, and she knew that he, too, had to try and be grateful for "the blessings that went over his head."