"But you wouldn't refuse it if my uncle were persuaded that you were the best man to give it to?" hazarded Ella.
"I should consider it," said the Vicar, after a moment's weighty pause. "I can't say more at present than that I should consider it."
As his wife also seemed about to express herself upon the subject he took his leave, somewhat hurriedly, and carried her along with him. Grafton and Caroline accompanied them to the garden gate.
"Isn't he the limit?" enquired Beatrix when they were out of earshot. "Can he think we're all such fools as not to see through him?"
"I wanted to see how far he would go," said Ella. "Really, I think it would be almost worth while having him at Surley to be able to play with him. But from this moment I am heart and soul on the side of Denis, Rhoda and Ethel or no Rhoda and Ethel."
This was not the only clerical invasion of the Abbey on that afternoon. It contained a household which presented such attractions to friendly neighbours that a day seldom went by without a visit from one or more of them. Worthing, the agent of the Abington property, as well as of the adjoining one of Wilborough, and his pupil, Maurice Bradby, came to reinforce the tennis players. So did Richard Mansergh, the eldest son of Sir Alexander, of Wilborough, a sailor home on leave, and already if appearances went for anything, desperately enamoured of Beatrix. And about tea-time the party was joined by the Reverend Rogers Williams, Vicar of Feltham, and his wife, who came over on bicycles, accompanied by several Airedale terriers, whose breeding they supervised in the intervals of more serious occupations. They were known as the Breezy Bills in the Grafton family, and a closer intimacy had been established with them during the previous holidays by Young George, who had taken a youthful liking to their daughter, Maggie, aged fourteen.
Tea was in the Long Gallery upstairs, and the talk was mostly about the Rectory of Surley.
"Are you a candidate?" asked Grafton of Mr. Williams. "Because if so we shall have to be careful what we say. I may tell you at once that our sympathies are with young Denis Cooper."
"I a candidate!" exclaimed Mr. Williams with a hearty laugh—he laughed heartily at anything in which a humourous significance might be inferred, and at many things where it was not apparent,—"Oh, good gracious, no! Wouldn't leave Feltham for anything in the world. We've got everything exactly as we like it there, haven't we, dear?"
"Yes," said his wife. "The kennels couldn't be beaten and they've cost us a lot of money, which we should lose if we moved. And there's the carpentering shop too. Oh, no, we look on at it all and laugh about it, don't we, dear?"