What does it matter? You will
be beautiful one day, and even now, if you are good and patient, the
angels will think you lovely.' Dear me, Betty," interrupting
herself, "why are you creasing my pretty silk dress."
"Lord love you, miss, I am only a-feeling for your wings," returned
Elizabeth in a droll voice, and then they both laughed, for this was
a standing joke between them ever since Dinah had repeated poor old
Becky Brent's speech, when the wrinkled hand of the blind and doited
old creature had fumbled about her shapely shoulders.
Dinah had been right in thinking that the vicar and Mr. Herrick
would have much in common, and the conversation at the dinner-table
that evening was unusually animated.
She and Elizabeth were attentive listeners, and on comparing notes
afterwards both of them owned that they had been struck with Mr.
Herrick's intelligence and broad-minded views.
The slight egotism that Elizabeth had detected seemed to drop from
him like a veil, and he showed his true nature; he was evidently a
patient and reverent searcher after knowledge, and his marked
deference to the elder scholar became him greatly.
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