Poor Rachel blushed and was unable to speak. "Don't be so foolish," said Martha to her sister. "It's ever so long since we've seen you, Rachel. Why don't you come and walk with us?" "Yes, indeed,--why don't you?" said Cherry, whose good-nature was quite as conspicuous as her bad taste. She knew now that she had vexed Rachel, and was thoroughly sorry that she had done so. If any other girl had quizzed her about her lover it would not have annoyed her, and she had not understood at first that Rachel Ray might be different from herself. "I declare we have hardly seen you since the night of the party, and we think it very ill-natured in you not to come to us. Do come and walk to-morrow." "Oh, thank you;--not to-morrow, because my sister is coming out from Baslehurst, to spend the evening with us." "Well;--on Saturday, then," said Cherry, persistingly. But Rachel would make no promise to walk with them on any day. She felt that she must henceforth be divided from the Tappitts. Had not he quarrelled with Mr. Tappitt; and could it be fitting that she should keep up any friendship with the family that was hostile to him? She was also aware that Mrs. Tappitt was among those who were desirous of robbing her of her lover. Mrs. Tappitt was her enemy as Mr. Tappitt was his. She asked herself no question as to that duty of forgiving them the injuries they had done her, but she felt that she was divided from them,--from Mr. and Mrs. Tappitt, and also from the girls. And, moreover, in her present strait she wanted no friend. She could not talk to any friend about her lover, and she could not bring herself even to think on any other subject. "It's late," she said, "and I must go home, as mamma will be expecting me." Cherry had almost replied that she had not been in so great a hurry once before, when she had stood in the churchyard with another companion; but she thought of Rachel's reproachful face when her last little joke had been uttered, and she refrained. "She's over head and ears in love," said Cherry to her sister, when Rachel was gone. "I'm afraid she has been very foolish," said Martha, seriously. "I don't see that she has been foolish at all. He's a very nice fellow, and as far as I can see he's just as fond of her as she is of him." "But we know what that means with young men," said Martha, who was sufficiently serious in her way of thinking to hold by that doctrine as to wolves in sheep's clothing in which Mrs. Ray had been educated. "But young men do marry,--sometimes," said Cherry. "But not merely for the sake of a pretty face or a good figure. I believe mamma is right in that, and I don't think he'll come back again." "If he were my lover I'd have him back," said Cherry, stoutly;--and so they went away to the brewery.