"Bah!" murmured Mr. Dale under his breath; but Dr. Howe said
impatiently,--

"What do you mean? What blow?"

"Why, Lois has refused him!" cried Mrs. Dale. "What else?"

"I didn't know she had refused him," the rector answered slowly. "Well,
the child is the best judge, after all."

"I am glad of it," said Mr. Dale,--"I am glad of it. He was no husband
for little Lois,--no, my dear, pray let me speak,--no husband for Lois.
I have had some conversation with him, and I played euchre with him once.
He played too well for a gentleman, Archibald."

"He beat you, did he?" said the rector.

"That had nothing to do with it!" cried Mr. Dale. "I should have said the
same thing had I been his partner"--

"Fudge!" Mrs. Dale interrupted, "as though it made the slightest
difference how a man played a silly game! Don't be foolish, Henry. Lois
has made a great mistake, but I suppose there is nothing to be done,
unless young Forsythe should try again. I hope he will, and I hope she
will have more sense."

The rector was silent. He could not deny that he was disappointed, and as
he went towards the post-office, he almost wished he had offered a word
of advice to Lois. "Still, a girl needs her mother for that sort of
thing, and, after all, perhaps it is best. For really, I should be very