"Well," he said, as he laid down his pen at Rachel's announcement that tea was ready. "How did you get on at the working party? I'm glad they have seen you."
"But they didn't like me," said Rachel laughing, "at least some of them did not."
"Nonsense. How could they help it?" He took her face between his hands, and looked lovingly into her eyes.
"They think I'm too young and frivolous, and moreover incapable, and not half worthy of their Vicar," answered Rachel. "I read it all in their faces, and I'm quite sure that with the exception of Mrs. Stone and one or two others I shocked them. But let me go and pour out your tea. You have a lot to do."
Luke seated himself at the table and began cutting the loaf of bread.
"What did you say to shock them?" he said.
"I enlarged upon Polly's peculiarities. I like Polly, she amuses me immensely, and I really feel that I could make quite a nice little maid of her, if only I knew how things ought to be done myself. Happily there are a few things I do know, and I take pains to inform Polly of them. But she is the queerest little creature I have ever seen."
Luke was not listening. He was looking at Rachel, thinking what a radiant wife God had given him; and a fear arose in his heart, lest marrying him might be the cause of her high spirits being quenched, and of life taking on a too sober hue. Sin abounded in his parish and he did not see how Rachel could learn of all the evil, and be as bright and happy as she now was.
"You must not let those ladies who looked gravely upon you this afternoon, count too much," he said. "Some of them have been at the work for years, and have got too solemn and severe."
Rachel laughed.