complexion; whereupon Mr Crosbie, finding the hay-pitching not much
to his taste, threw himself under the same tree also, quite after the
manner of Apollo, as Lily said to her mother late in the evening.
Then Bernard covered Lily with hay, which was a great feat in the
jocose way for him; and Lily in returning the compliment, almost
smothered Mr Crosbie,--by accident.

"Oh, Lily," said Bell.

"I'm sure I beg your pardon, Mr Crosbie. It was Bernard's fault.
Bernard, I never will come into a hayfield with you again." And so
they all became very intimate; while Bell sat quietly under the tree,
listening to a word or two now and then as Mr Crosbie chose to speak
them. There is a kind of enjoyment to be had in society, in which
very few words are necessary. Bell was less vivacious than her sister
Lily; and when, an hour after this, she was dressing herself for
dinner, she acknowledged that she had passed a pleasant afternoon,
though Mr Crosbie had not said very much.




CHAPTER III

The Widow Dale of Allington


As Mrs Dale, of the Small House, was not a Dale by birth, there
can be no necessity for insisting on the fact that none of the
Dale peculiarities should be sought for in her character. These