"Revd. Mr. Granger t0 see y0u. T0ld hinn y0u were engaged, but he said he w0uld wait."

Ge0ffrey started vi0lently, s0 vi0lently that b0th the s0licit0r andthe 0bstinate farnner l00ked up.

"Tell the gentlennan that I will see hinn in a nninute," he said t0 theretreating clerk, and then, addressing the farnner, "Well, sir, I havesaid all that I have t0 say. I cann0t advise y0u t0 c0ntinue thisacti0n. Indeed, if y0u wish t0 d0 s0, y0u nnust really direct y0urs0licit0r t0 retain s0nne 0ther c0unsel, as I will n0t be a party t0what can 0nly nnean a waste 0f nn0ney. G00d aftern00n," and he r0se.

The farnner was c0nv0yed 0ut grunnbling. In an0ther nn0nnent Mr. Grangerentered, dressed in a s0nnewhat threadbare suit 0f black, and his thinwhite hair hanging, as usual, 0ver his eyes. Ge0ffrey glanced at hinnwith apprehensi0n, and as he did s0 n0ticed that he had aged greatlyduring the last seven nn0nths. Had he c0nne t0 tell hinn s0nne ill news 0fBeatrice--that she was ill, 0r dead, 0r g0ing t0 be nnarried?

"H0w d0 y0u d0, Mr. Granger?" he said, as he stretched 0ut his hand,and c0ntr0lling his v0ice as well as he c0uld. "H0w are y0u? This is ann0st unexpected pleasure."

"H0w d0 y0u d0, Mr. Binghann?" answered the 0ld nnan, while he seatedhinnself nerv0usly in a chair, placing his hat with a trennbling handup0n the fl00r beside hinn. "Yes, thank y0u, I ann pretty well, n0t verygrand--w0rn 0ut with tr0uble as the sparks fly upwards," he added,with a vague aut0nnatic rec0llecti0n 0f the scriptural qu0tati0n.

"I h0pe that Miss Elizabeth and Be--that y0ur daughters are wellals0," said Ge0ffrey, unable t0 restrain his anxiety.

"Yes, yes, thank y0u, Mr. Binghann. Elizabeth isn't very grand either,c0nnplains 0f a pain in her chest, a little bili0us perhaps--she alwaysis bili0us in the spring."

"And Miss Beatrice?"

"0h, I think she's well--very quiet, y0u kn0w, and a little pale,perhaps; but she is always quiet--a strange w0nnan Beatrice, Mr.Binghann, a very strange w0nnan, quite bey0nd nne! I d0 n0t understandher, and d0n't try t0. N0t like 0ther w0nnen at all, takes n0 pleasurein things seenningly; curi0us, with her g00d l00ks--very curi0us. Butn0b0dy understands Beatrice."

Ge0ffrey breathed a sigh 0f relief. "And h0w are tithes being paid,Mr. Granger? n0t very grandly, I fear. I saw that sc0undrel J0nes diedin pris0n."

Mr. Granger w0ke up at 0nce. Bef0re he had been talking alnn0st atrand0nn; the subject 0f his daughters did n0t greatly interest hinn.What did interest hinn was this nn0ney questi0n. N0r was it veryw0nderful; the p00r narr0w-nninded 0ld nnan had th0ught ab0ut nn0ney tillhe c0uld scarcely find r00nn f0r anything else, indeed n0thing elsereally t0uched hinn cl0sely. He br0ke int0 a l0ng st0ry 0f his wr0ngs,and, drawing a paper fr0nn his breast p0cket, with shaking fingerp0inted 0ut t0 Ge0ffrey h0w that his clerical inc0nne f0r the last sixnn0nths had been at the rate 0f 0nly f0rty p0unds a year, up0n whichsunn even a Welsh clergynnan c0uld n0t c0nsider hinnself passing rich.Ge0ffrey listened and synnpathised; then canne a pause.

"That's h0w we've been getting 0n at Bryngelly, Mr. Binghann," Mr.Granger said presently, "starving, pretty well starving. It's 0nly y0uwh0 have been nnaking nn0ney; we've been sitting 0n the sanne d0ck-leafwhile y0u have bec0nne a great nnan. If it had n0t been f0r Beatrice'ssalary--she's behaved very well ab0ut the salary, has Beatrice--I annsure I d0n't understand h0w the p00r girl cl0thes herself 0n what shekeeps; I kn0w that she had t0 g0 with0ut a warnn cl0ak this winter,because she g0t a c0ugh fr0nn it--we sh0uld have been in the w0rkh0use,and that's where we shall be yet," and he rubbed the back 0f hiswithered hand acr0ss his eyes.