"Nay, I must say I wonder at _you_, Mrs. _Patty_; but since we are getting rather too warm upon it, I'll wish you Good-bye for the Present, and converse with you some other Time on what is in my Mind, but which I fear would just now meet with an unfavourable Hearing." Saying which, he took up his Hat, and was going away quite formally, when, turning short about, he looked full into my Face for a Minute, and said with an inexpressible Sweetness of Reproach: "Why, _Patty_! I didn't think you could be so cross!" [Illustration] CHAPTER XX. _Mr. Fenwick's Proceedings._ I have his Face before me this Minute! My _Mother_ was wont to say, "Mr. _Fenwick_ had smiling Eyes," but I protest I found they could cut me to the Heart. I ran up-Stairs as soon as ever he was gone, and had a good Cry by my own Bed-side; and wondered what on Earth could have made me so knaggy and upsettish. When I went down, _Prue_ was still in the Shop; and seeing me with red Eyes, I dare say she thought I had been crying about Dr. _Elwes_. I hadn't, however! There were Customers buying Buns, so I left her to attend to them, and returned to the Parlour; and there, who should there be, sitting at the Window and smelling to some Primroses, but Mr. _Fenwick_! I declare I started as if it had been his Ghost. "Well," says he smiling, "I've soon come back again.... Why, _Patty_!--I do believe you've been shedding Tears!" "What of that, Sir?" said I, ready to begin again. "Only this," said he, "that I am very glad of it, because it seems as if you were sorry for the little _Tiff_ we had just now--And I'm sorry too, and came back expressly to say so. But perhaps I'm mistaken, and these Tears were not about the Tiff, but about Dr. _Elwes_ ... hey, _Patty_?" I shook my Head. "Well then, all's right," said he, taking my Hand, and drawing me towards the Window. "I'm sure I regret the old Gentleman as much as any one can be expected to do who cared very little about him; but the Fact is, I was selfishly preoccupied with a Piece of good Fortune that had happened to myself, and which, you see, I could not be easy till I had made you a Party to. How is it I care about telling you, _Patty_? How is it you were the first Person whose Sympathy I wanted to secure? hey?" "I'm sure I can't tell, Sir." "Well, I think I _can_ tell--If I can't, I've made a tremendous Blunder, after a great Deal of Self-Examination. What do you think of my having been presented to the Living of St. _Margery-under-the-Wall_?" "You don't say so?" exclaimed I, clasping my Hands with delight--"Oh, that _is_ joyful!" "Four Hundred a Year, clear," said he, "that's a good Income, is not it?" "It's _Wealth_!" said I. "And no more than you deserve, Mr. _Fenwick_!" "I knew this was how you would feel," said he, kissing my Hand. "What makes you cloud over, _Patty_?" "I was only thinking, Sir--" "What? Come, say it out...." "That this would remove you from us farther than ever--"