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Before passing on to more dignified matters, that period of nine days demands to be noted during which the inhabitants of Deadham, all very much agog, celebrated the wonder of Miss Bilson's indisputable disappearance and Damaris Verity's reported adventure. Concerning the former, Dr. Horniblow, good man, took himself seriously to task, deploring his past action and debating his present duty.
She wanted, so desperately, to achieve her purpose and, incidentally, to continue to play, both for her own benefit and that of the parish, her self-elected role of Lady Bountiful, of "official representative of The Hard" as Dr. Horniblow by a quite innocent if ill-timed flourish of speech had unfortunately put it.
This morning the three bells jangled altogether as she reached the churchyard gate. Then the smallest tolled alone, hurrying stragglers. She was indeed late, the bulk of the congregation already seated, the Canon at the reading-desk and Mrs. Horniblow wheezing forth a voluntary upon the harmonium, when she walked up the aisle.
She enjoys that month at the seaside, finding it, she says, so poetic." Damaris smiled, her eyes at once, and more than ever, eloquent and unfathomable. "And I learned only this morning an old Anglo-Indian friend of ours, Mrs. Mackinder, whom I should be quite dreadfully sorry to miss, is spending the autumn at Stourmouth." Mrs. Horniblow permitted herself a dash.
The clerical wife does not always see eye to eye with her spouse in respect of his female parishioners, more particularly, perhaps, the unmarried ones. Mrs. Horniblow loved, honoured, and within reasonable limits obeyed her James; but this neither prevented her being shrewd, nor knowing her James, after all, to be human.
"I don't know," Damaris answered. "Her plans, I believe, are uncertain at present. You and Dr. Horniblow will stay to tea with us, won't you?" this charmingly. "It will be here in a very few minutes I can ring for it at once." And the lady laughed to herself, good-temperedly accepting the rebuff. For it was neatly delivered, and she could admire clever fencing even though she herself were pinked.
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