"I shall not vary my usual walk," remarked Mr Tempest, positively. "We will stroll through the village, return to the chapel, and then, Mr Pratt, I hope you will lunch with me."
"Delighted, if it will not put Miss Sybil out."
"No, no. My wife is always prepared for chance visitors," answered the vicar, quite oblivious to the fact that the late Mrs Tempest was resting in the churchyard. "Ha, this is Mrs Jeal. How do you do, Mrs Jeal?"
Mrs Jeal was in excellent health, and said so with a curtsey. A dumpy, rosy-faced woman was Mrs Jeal, with a pair of extremely wicked black eyes which snapped fire when she was angered. She had a temper, but rarely displayed it, for it suited her better to gain her ends by craft rather than force. Fifteen years ago she had appeared from nowhere, to settle as a midwife in Colester. Contrary to their usual fashion, the villagers had taken her to their bosoms. This was owing to the clever way Mrs Jeal had of managing them, and to her knowledge of herbs. She had cured many sick people whom the doctor had given up, and consequently was not looked upon with favour by Dr James, who had succeeded to the family practice. But even he could not be angry at rosy, laughing Mrs Jeal. "Though I don't like her," confessed Dr James; "the devil looks out of her eyes. Dangerous woman, very dangerous."
Pratt had no chance of proving this remark of the doctor's to be true, for Mrs Jeal never looked at him. She kept her wicked eyes on the kindly vicar and smiled constantly, punctuating such smiles with an occasional curtsey. "Pearl is not with you?" said Mr Tempest.
"No, bless her poor heart!" cried Mrs Jeal, "she is up at the chapel. Her favourite place is the chapel, as your reverence knows."
"She might have a worse place to haunt, Mrs Jeal. Poor soul—poor, mad, innocent child!"
"Do you call eighteen years of age childish, Mr Tempest?" asked the woman.
"No, no! I speak of her mind, her poor, weak mind. She is still a child. I beg of you to look after her, Mrs Jeal. We must make her path as pleasant as we may."
"Then I beg your reverence will tell that Barker to leave her alone."