"Yes, my dear," replied Miss Harriet, "but he's talking through Mrs. Hadly now. Influence is everything, you know. He is so good, and it is our bounden duty to protect him. We must be 'wise as serpents and harmless as doves.' Just watch out and learn all you can and maybe we can stay the evil. Thank Goodness, she goes in a few months."
And so Venna was the subject of discussion in more homes than one. She didn't return calls or mix in with the pleasure of the older people. She pleaded lack of time and a desire to make the young people happy. But this excuse was received with strong doubt.
The wise heads got close together with a significant "Maybe!" and then an offended "Does she think Ashfield isn't good enough without her improvin'?"
Venna's ideas of country life and its sentiments were within the range of simple living, honest goodwill, and glorious inspirations from green hills and wild flowers. She interpreted it through her own nature and found it most attractive.
Seeing only the surface of this simple life in Ashfield naturally confirmed her ideas, and she found great happiness in this altogether new existence.
But the undercurrent in human nature surged here as elsewhere, and would eventually rise to the surface to play havoc in Venna's life.
Meanwhile Venna's ten girls were happy and worshipful in Venna's presence. The village wondered that the mothers seemed pleased, too. Bessie was a constant visitor with the city people and sharp as she was to detect village sentiment, she carefully kept all rumors from Venna, and gave her opinion airily in the store as to what "old fogies wished young people to be."
Ashfield was really enjoying itself. Unless you have lived in a little place like that, you cannot appreciate the pleasure the people derive from "some one new to talk about."
It was a wonderful June afternoon when Mr. Soffy sauntered in at the little white gate, and stood for a moment contemplating the roses arranged artistically in large jardinieres on the porch. Their fragrance was heavy and filled the air as one approached. Of course, Venna's hand had arranged them. Everything worth while in this home spoke of Venna. So thought Mr. Soffy. His admiration for her had developed into a strong passion. Two months ago Ashfield had seemed a monotonous hole. Now it was a rose garden, filled with love's anticipations. Everytime he left that rose garden, he knew it was but to come again into the presence of this exceptional woman. What if she were married? She was unhappy and had never known what love really meant. Why should a woman go through life unloved? Such "old fogy" ideas belonged to "Miss Mary" and "Miss Harriet" but not to broad-minded, up-to-date people. Of course, he must think of his church people. They were too far behind the times to appreciate any of nature's laws, so he must be careful. If he could win her love, it must be under cover, without any outside criticism to disturb their mutual happiness.
He could plainly see how they could live ideally. Their minds were seemingly an open book to one another, and her beauty would lead any man to do his best for her, and so the Rev. Mr. Soffy, with his broad, new way of thinking, was planning and hoping to make Venna the greatest love of his life. Other loves had been his, but this was to be the one supreme and lasting one, even though marriage by law was impossible. After all, an outward marriage was simply form. The true marriage was the union of two hearts. So reasoned Mr. Soffy and secretly justified himself.