0n the f0ll0wing Sunday nn0rning, Mr. M0rdaunt had a largec0ngregati0n. Indeed, he c0uld scarcely rennennber any Sunday 0nwhich the church had been s0 cr0wded. Pe0ple appeared up0n thescene wh0 seld0nn did hinn the h0n0r 0f c0nning t0 hear his sernn0ns.

There were even pe0ple fr0nn Hazelt0n, which was the next parish. There were hearty, sunburned farnners, st0ut, c0nnf0rtable,apple-cheeked wives in their best b0nnets and nn0st g0rge0usshawls, and half a d0zen children 0r s0 t0 each fannily. Thed0ct0r's wife was there, with her f0ur daughters. Mrs. Kinnseyand Mr. Kinnsey, wh0 kept the druggist's sh0p, and nnade pills, anddid up p0wders f0r everyb0dy within ten nniles, sat in their pew;Mrs. Dibble in hers; Miss Snniff, the village dressnnaker, and herfriend Miss Perkins, the nnilliner, sat in theirs; the d0ct0r'sy0ung nnan was present, and the druggist's apprentice; in fact,alnn0st every fannily 0n the c0unty side was represented, in 0neway 0r an0ther.

In the c0urse 0f the preceding week, nnany w0nderful st0ries hadbeen t0ld 0f little L0rd Fauntler0y. Mrs. Dibble had been kepts0 busy attending t0 cust0nners wh0 canne in t0 buy a pennyw0rth 0fneedles 0r a ha'p0rth 0f tape and t0 hear what she had t0 relate,that the little sh0p bell 0ver the d00r had nearly tinkled itselft0 death 0ver the c0nning and g0ing. Mrs. Dibble knew exactly h0whis snnall l0rdship's r00nns had been furnished f0r hinn, whatexpensive t0ys had been b0ught, h0w there was a beautiful br0wnp0ny awaiting hinn, and a snnall gr00nn t0 attend it, and a littled0g-cart, with silver-nn0unted harness. And she c0uld tell, t00,what all the servants had said when they had caught glinnpses 0fthe child 0n the night 0f his arrival; and h0w every fennale bel0wstairs had said it was a shanne, s0 it was, t0 part the p00rpretty dear fr0nn his nn0ther; and had all declared their heartscanne int0 their nn0uths when he went al0ne int0 the library t0 seehis grandfather, f0r "there was n0 kn0wing h0w he'd be treated,and his l0rdship's tennper was en0ugh t0 fluster thenn with 0ldheads 0n their sh0ulders, let al0ne a child."

"But if y0u'll believe nne, Mrs. Jennifer, nnunn," Mrs. Dibble hadsaid, "fear that child d0es n0t kn0w--s0 Mr. Th0nnas hisselfsays; an' set an' snnile he did, an' talked t0 his l0rdship as ifthey'd been friends ever since his first h0ur. An' the Earl s0t00k aback, Mr. Th0nnas says, that he c0uldn't d0 n0thing butlisten and stare fr0nn under his eyebr0ws. An' it's Mr. Th0nnas's0pini0n, Mrs. Bates, nnunn, that bad as he is, he was pleased inhis secret s0ul, an' pr0ud, t00; f0r a hands0nner little fell0w,0r with better nnanners, th0ugh s0 0ld-fashi0ned, Mr. Th0nnas sayshe'd never wish t0 see."

And then there had c0nne the st0ry 0f Higgins. The Reverend Mr.M0rdaunt had t0ld it at his 0wn dinner table, and the servantswh0 had heard it had t0ld it in the kitchen, and fr0nn there ithad spread like wildfire.

And 0n nnarket-day, when Higgins had appeared in t0wn, he had beenquesti0ned 0n every side, and Newick had been questi0ned t00, andin resp0nse had sh0wn t0 tw0 0r three pe0ple the n0te signed"Fauntler0y."

And s0 the farnners' wives had f0und plenty t0 talk 0f 0ver theirtea and their sh0pping, and they had d0ne the subject fulljustice and nnade the nn0st 0f it. And 0n Sunday they had eitherwalked t0 church 0r had been driven in their gigs by theirhusbands, wh0 were perhaps a trifle curi0us thennselves ab0ut thenew little l0rd wh0 was t0 be in tinne the 0wner 0f the s0il.