"Why, Paul," she said. "If you wanted to grow a beard I shouldn't like it, but I shouldn't dream of stopping you." "That's quite different," he answered. "I should never dream of growing a beard. Grace won't like it if you look odd." "Grace isn't my teacher," said Maggie with a sudden hot hostility that surprised herself. She discovered, by the way, very quickly that the three ladies had no very warm feelings for Grace. They showed undisguised pleasure at the thought that Maggie would now be on various Committees instead of her sister-in-law. "It will be your place, of course, as wife of the vicar," said Mrs. Constantine. "Hitherto Miss Trenchard--" "Oh, but I couldn't be on a Committee," cried Maggie. "I've never been on one in my life. I should never know what to do." "Never been on a Committee!" cried Miss Purves, quivering with interest. "Why, Mrs. Trenchard, where have you been all this time?" "I'm only twenty," said Maggie. They certainly thought it strange of her to confess to her age like that. "At home father never had any Committees, he did it all himself, or rather didn't do it." Mrs. Constantine shook her head. "We must all help you," she said. "You're very young, my dear, for the responsibilities of this parish." "Yes, I am," said Maggie frankly. "And I'll be very glad of anything you can tell me. But you mustn't let me be Treasurer or Secretary of anything. I should never answer any of the letters, and I should probably spend all the money myself." "My dear, you shouldn't say such things even as a joke," said Mrs. Constantine. "But it isn't a joke," said Maggie. "I'm terribly muddleheaded, and I've no idea of money at all. Paul's going to teach me." Paul smiled nervously. "Maggie will soon fit into our ways," he said. "I'm sure she will." said Mrs. Constantine very kindly, but as though she were speaking to a child of ten. The bell rang and Mr. Flaunders the curate came in. He was very young, very earnest, and very enthusiastic. He adored Paul. He told Maggie that he thought that he was the very luckiest man in the world for having, so early in his career, so wonderful a man as Paul to work under. He had also adored Grace, but very quickly showed signs of transferring that adoration to Maggie. "Miss Trenchard's splendid," he said. "I do admire her so, but you'll be a great help to us all. I'm so glad you've come." "Why, how do you know?" asked Maggie. "You've only seen me for about two minutes." "Ah, one can tell," said Mr. Flaunders, sighing. Maggie liked his enthusiasm, but she couldn't help wishing that his knees wouldn't crack at unexpected moments, that he wasn't quite so long and thin, and that he wouldn't leave dried shaving-soap under his ears and in his nostrils. She was puzzled, too, that Paul should be so obviously pleased with the rather naif adoration. "Paul likes you to praise him," she thought a little regretfully.