“Remarkably mild;” replied Mr Darnley. Thus did the cruel ones, unmindful of the inconvenience to which they put the poor man, detain him a most unreasonable length of time with an unconnected and uninteresting succession of idle common-places, interlarded with long intervals of insipid silence. So long as he stood still silently looking at them, so long did they hold their tongues, but whenever the poor man shewed symptoms of moving, they stopped him by some unmeaning gabble. So does a wantonly cruel cat play with a poor innocent mouse which she suffers for a moment to escape from her claws, and leaves unmolested while it is motionless; but, as soon as it moves a limb in signal of departure, down comes her merciless paw upon it again. At length however when the worthy baronet and his friend were tired of their own laziness, they suffered the persecuted divine to escape from them; for after having detained him an unreasonable length of time, and that for no purpose whatever, the considerate baronet very coolly said: “Well, Mr Darnley, perhaps we are detaining you: good morning.” “Good morning,” said Colonel Crop; and so also said Mr Darnley. It was now absolutely impossible for the rector of Neverden to overtake his daughters before they should arrive at Smatterton parsonage, if that were the object of their excursion, and nothing remained for him but the prospect of meeting them on their return, and the satisfaction which he might have in reproving them for their implied disobedience. The delay which he had experienced by no means softened his asperity or abated his anger; and when at a little distance before him, just at the entrance of the village of Smatterton, he saw his three daughters in deep and apparently interesting conversation approaching him, and not perceiving him in consequence of the interest which they seemed to take in the subject of their conversation, he concluded of course that they had been at the rectory at Smatterton contrary to his known will and inclination. They were within reach of his voice before they saw him; and when they heard him address them, they lifted up their faces and were astonished into silence, and surprised into apparent confusion. It was merely the unexpectedness of the meeting that confused them, but the rector thought their silence was from the conviction of their guilt. “And so, young ladies, you have, in despite of your father’s authority, been paying a visit to Smatterton rectory! And pray let me ask you, what is your motive for this act of rebellion?” Now the young ladies mentally pleaded not guilty to the accusation, and they gave voice also to the plea, saying: “Indeed, Sir, we have not been at the rectory.” “But have you not seen Miss Primrose?” “We have,” replied the eldest. “We have seen Miss Primrose, but we have not been paying her a visit. Our meeting was accidental.”