Swithin had been upstairs a minute or two, however, he altered his mind, and coming down again ate all the pudding, with the aspect of a person undertaking a deed of great magnanimity. The relish with which he did so restored the unison that knew no more serious interruptions than such as this.

"Mr. Torkingham has been here this afternoon," said his grandmother; "and he wants me to let him meet some of the choir here tonight for practice. They who live at this end of the parish won't go to his house to try over the tunes because 'tis so far, they say, and so 'tis, poor men. So he's going to see what coming to them will do. He asks if you would like to join."

"I would if I had not so much to do."

"But it is cloudy tonight."

"Yes; but I have calculations without end, granny. Now, don't you tell him I'm in the house, will you? and then he'll not ask for me."

"But if he should, must I then tell a lie, Lord forgive me?"

"No, you can say I'm upstairs; he must think what he likes. Not a word about the astronomy to any of them, whatever you do. I should be called a visionary, and all sorts."

"So thou beest, child. Why can't ye do something that's of use?"

At the sound of footsteps, Swithin beat a hasty retreat upstairs, where he struck a light, and revealed a table covered with books and papers, while round the walls hung star-maps, and other diagrams illustrative of celestial phenomena. In a corner stood a huge pasteboard tube, which a close inspection would have shown to be intended for a telescope. Swithin hung a thick cloth over the window, in addition to the curtains, and sat down to his papers. On the ceiling was a black stain of smoke, and under this, he placed his lamp, evidencing that the midnight oil was consumed on that precise spot very often.

Meanwhile, there had entered to the room below a personage who, to judge from her voice and the quick pit-pat of her feet, was a maiden young and blithe. Mrs. Martin welcomed her by the title of Miss Tabitha Lark and inquired what wind had brought her that way; to which the visitor replied that she had come for the singing.

"Sit ye down, then," said granny. 

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