And in fact she did. When Mrs. Alwynn took her aside after church, and explained the case in the all-pervading whisper for which she had apparently taken out a patent, Ruth could not grasp any reason why she should return to Slumberleigh three days before the time, but she saw at once that return she must if Mrs. Alwynn chose to demand it; and so she yielded with a good grace, and sent Mrs. Alwynn back smiling to the lych-gate, where Mr. Alwynn and Mabel Thursby were talking with Dare and Molly, while Charles interviewed the village policeman at a little distance. "No news of the tramp," said Charles, meeting Ruth at the gate; and they started homeward in different order to that in which they had come, in spite of a great effort at the last moment on the part of Dare, who thought the old way was better. "The policeman has seen nothing of him. He has gone off to pastures new, I expect." "I hope he has." "Mrs. Alwynn does not want you to leave Atherstone to-morrow, does she?" "I am sorry to say she does." "But you won't go?" "I must not only go, but I must do it as if I liked it." "I hope Evelyn won't allow it." "While I am living with Mrs. Alwynn, I am bound to do what she likes in small things." "H'm!" "I should have thought, Sir Charles, that this particularly feminine and submissive sentiment would have met with your approval." "It does; it does," said Charles, hastily. "Only, after the stubborn rigidity of your--shall I say your--week-day character, especially as regards money, this softened Sabbath mood took me by surprise for a moment." "You should see me at Slumberleigh," said Ruth, with a smile half sad, half humorous. "You should see me tying up Uncle John's flowers, or holding Aunt Fanny's wools. Nothing more entirely feminine and young lady-like can be imagined." "It must be a great change, after living with a woman like Lady Deyncourt--to whose house I often went years ago, when her son was living--to come to a place like Slumberleigh." "It _is_ a great change. I am ashamed to say how much I felt it at first. I don't know how to express it; but everything down here seems so small and local, and hard and fast."