"_Very few_ people's eyes can be in every place at once, certainly, Placidia," said Aunt Dorothy, with point. "But it so happens that your uncle had not forgotten that meadow. And this morning Bob drove all our cows there." "Oh," said Placidia, "that is quite enough. I only felt naturally anxious that nothing should be wasted, especially when we happened to be wanting it. But, of course, a poor parson's wife cannot expect such butter as you have at Netherby; only I always remember the 'twelve baskets,' and how important it is 'nothing should be lost,' and the virtuous woman at the end of the Proverbs. I shall always have reason to be grateful to you, Aunt Dorothy, for making me learn so much Scripture." "Thank you, my dear," said Aunt Dorothy, "you always had an excellent memory. But it is very important with the Holy Scriptures, at least the English version, not to read them from right to left." So Cousin Placidia departed, leaving Aunt Dorothy with a comfortable sense of having defeated a plot. But half an hour afterwards my Father came in. "Poor Placidia," said he, "I met her on her way home, and I really was quite touched by her gratitude for those few cows I gave her, and also by the feeling she expressed about Roger. It seems the glebe pasture does not agree with the beasts as well as ours, and she had been rather troubled about the butter, but had not liked to speak of it, especially when we were in such anxiety about Roger. It really shows more delicacy of feeling than I thought Placidia possessed, poor child. And it shows how careful we ought to be not to form uncharitable judgments. So I ordered Bob to put those three cows with ours in the Mere meadow for a little while." "Did Placidia mention the Mere meadow?" said Aunt Dorothy. "Well, I cannot be sure, but I think she did; and I think it was a very sensible notion." "What did Bob say?" said Aunt Dorothy, grimly. "Bob spoke rather sharply," said my Father; "he is apt to be very free-spoken at times; he said he had like to look well to our pastures if we were to give change of air to all Mistress Nicholl's cattle. It was not likely, Bob thought, they would be in any hurry to change back again." "Well, there _are_ men," murmured Aunt Dorothy, "who are as harmless as doves, and there are women who are as wise as serpents. And the less the two meet the better. I don't care a rush who feeds Placidia's cows; but it is almost more than I can bear that she thinks no one sees through her schemes." But Placidia had triumphed. And the parsonage cows never needed any further change of residence.