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Every now and again Bainton glanced up at the 'Passon's' face and murmured under his breath, 'Blue's the colour there ain't nowt to beat it! possibly inspired thereto by the very decided blue sparkle in the eyes of the 'man of God' who was marching steadily along in the 'Onward Christian Soldiers' style, with his shoulders well back, his head well poised, and his whole bearing expressive of both decision and command.
At his return that night to his wife at Bainton, he gave her an account of the passages betwixt him and the poor woman; with which she was affected, that she went next day to Salisbury, and there bought a pair of blankets, and sent them as a token of her love to the poor woman; and with them a message, "That she would see and be acquainted with her, when her house was built at Bemerton."
"Now d'ye think a man like 'im is gone to Heaven!" demanded Bainton- "Honest an' true, d'ye think the Lord Almighty wants 'im?" John was rather non-plussed. His garrulous gardener watched his face with attentive interest. "Don't ye answer unless ye like, Passon!" he observed, sagaciously "I don't want to make ye say things which ain't orthodox! You keep a still tongue, an' I shall understand!"
"Example," sighed Mrs. Buggins, "is better than precept. It would be more decent if the lady showed herself in church as a lesson to others, if she did so more lost sheep might follow!" "Hor-hor-hor!" chuckled Bainton, from a corner of the room "Don't you worrit yourself, Missis Buggins, 'bout no lost sheep!
I ain't sed a wurrd." "Ill news travels fast," said Bainton, sententiously, "Mister Primmins no doubt called on his young 'ooman at the 'Mother Huff' an' told 'er to put on 'er best 'at. She's a reg'ler telephone tube for information any bit o' news runs right through 'er as though she was a wire. 'Ave ye told Passon Waldon as 'ow Miss Vancourt an' visitors is a-comin' to 'ear 'im preach?"
Walden's face cleared and brightened visibly. "I'm glad I'm very glad!" he said; "I hardly thought she could sanction such an outrage but, tell me, how did you manage to give her my message?" "'Tworn't your message at all, Passon, don't you think it!" said Bainton; "You ain't got so fur as that. She's not the sort o' lady to take a message from no one, whether passon, pope or emp'rur. Not she!
Let 'im come out of 'is 'ouse wise an' peaceful like as he allus do, an' let 'im speak as the fiery tongues from Heaven moves 'im, an' as if there worn't no fashion nor silly nonsense in the world. He's best so, Tummas! you b'lieve me, he's best so!" "Mebbe mebbe!" and Bainton twirled his cap round and round dubiously "But Miss Vancourt "
Arthur Woodnot, took a journey to salute him at Bainton, where he then was, with his wife's friends and relations, and was joyful to be an eye-witness of his health and happy marriage.
Here was a fresh cause of antipathy to the approaching Miss Vancourt. No one but a careless woman, devoid of all taste and good feeling, would name a dog after the greatest of Greek philosophers! "Plato's a good name," went on Bainton meditatively, unconscious of the view his master was taking of that name in his own mind; "I've 'eard it somewheres before, though I couldn't tell just where.
"They was jes' crossin' the churchyard when I spied 'em," answered Bainton; "An' Sir Morton was makin' some very speshul observations of his own on the 'herly Norman period. Hor-hor-hor! An' they've got ole Putty Leveson with 'em " "Bainton!" interrupted Walden severely; "How often must I tell you that you should not speak of the rector of Badsworth in that disrespectful manner?"
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