Honor's colour slightly changed at the words of her sister, but she rapidly recovered herself.
'So,' continued the mischievous Kate, 'you have come round all this way to blaze your new waistcoat in the eyes of Honor, because she could not come to church to worship it?'
Young Nanspian looked up furtively at Honor, ashamed to say a word in self-exculpation.
'Talk of girls giving themselves airs over their fine clothes!' said Kate, 'men are as proud as peacocks when they put on spring plumage.'
'It serves you right, Mr. Larry,' said Honor, 'that Kate torments you. Vanity must be humbled.'
'I spoke in jest,' explained Hillary. 'All the parish knows that when I joke I do not mean what I say. When a word comes to my lips, out it flies, good or bad. All the world knows that.'
'All the world knows that,' she repeated. 'It is bad to wear no drag on the tongue, but let it run down hill to a smash. Instead of boasting of this you should be ashamed of it.'
'I am not boasting,' he said, with a little irritation.
'Then I misunderstood you. When a man has a fault, let him master it, and not excuse himself with the miserable reason, that his fault is known to all the world.'
'Come, Honor, do not be cross with me,' he said, running up the steps, and holding out his hand.