The Right Honorable Lord Spoonbill suffered much uneasiness, and would, had he known what was passing in the mind of Nick Muggins, have suffered much more. But our business is now with the good people at Smatterton and Neverden, and we must therefore leave his lordship to bear his troubles by himself as well as he can. CHAPTER XVI. On the Sunday after their arrival, Mr Primrose and his daughter made their appearance at church, and the people of the village stared at them of course. The rector of Smatterton preached one of his best sermons, and in his best style. The eloquence was lost upon all his audience, except Mr Primrose and his daughter; they attended to the preacher, and the rest of the congregation attended to them. When the service was over, Penelope took her father to look at the monument which had been raised in the churchyard to the memory of Dr Greendale. It was a very handsome monument, and had been put up at the expense of the Earl of Smatterton. There was a very long and elaborate eulogium on the deceased, which had been drawn up, it is supposed, by Mr Darnley, but subsequently corrected and altered by the Earl of Smatterton in the first instance, and in the next by the stone-mason. Mr Primrose had been so long out of England that, for aught he knew to the contrary, it might be the fashion now to write nonsense on grave stones. There was however a kind intention, and Mr Primrose was pleased with it. While the father and daughter were thus mournfully enjoying the contemplation of this memorial of their deceased relative's virtues, the great boys and girls of the village who had been in the habit of bowing and curtseying to Penelope, and who remembered that their homage had been graciously received while she lived there under her uncle's roof, now thronged almost rudely round them, as if with a view of attracting the lady's notice. For a little while Penelope was too much taken up to notice them; but when her curiosity had been gratified, and her feelings had been indulged by a few gentle and stainless tears shed to the memory of her departed benefactor, she turned round and took particular notice of such as she remembered. She asked them such questions as occurred to her concerning their respective families and occupations, and she heard many an old story repeated concerning the aged and infirm. Enquiries were made by Penelope after grandfathers and grandmothers, and in one or two instances of great grandmothers. These enquiries were copiously or sheepishly answered, according to the several tastes and habits of the persons answering them.