"And have got supper by it in the bargain," added Ben, "for you'll have to bide after."
"No, no—no occasion at all."
"Yes, you must," said Dinah. "They'll have finished at Falcon Farm long afore you can get back."
Therefore Lawrence Maynard joined the party at evensong and sat between Jane and Dinah. Jane was indifferent, but Dinah shared her hymn-book with him. He did not sing, however, though it gave him pleasure to hear her do so. She was devout and attentive; Jane was not. He praised the sermon afterwards and told Mr. Bamsey that it was full of sense. When supper had ended, he thanked them very earnestly for their great kindness to a lonely man, and Benjamin trusted that he would come again. Dinah also pressed him, and Jane, who was now in a very fascinating and gracious mood, ordered him to do so.
"If you don't, we shall think you don't like us," she said.
He was grateful, and left them in an amiable spirit.
They discussed him after he had gone, and Dinah praised him, but Mrs. Bamsey felt dubious.
"He's rather a secret sort of man in my opinion," she said.
"He is," admitted Ben; "but he's secret by accident, not nature, I believe. I took note of him. He's got a grievance against life I reckon; but what it may be, of course, we don't know."
"I'll get it out of him," said Jane.