"Why, Esther," he laughed, "you're carrying an umbrella."
"It was raining in London," she said gravely.
He was on the point of exclaiming at such prudence in Esther when he
blushed in the remembrance that she was a nun. During the drive back
they talked shyly about the characters of the village and the Rectory
animals.
"I feel as if you'd just come back from school for the holidays," he
said.
"Yes, I feel as if I'd been at school," she agreed. "How sweet the
country smells."
"Don't you miss the country sometimes in Shoreditch?" he asked.
She shook her head and looked at him with puzzled eyes.
"Why should I miss anything in Shoreditch?"
Mark was abashed and silent for the rest of the drive, because he
fancied that Esther might have supposed that he was referring to the
past, rather than give which impression he would have cut out his
tongue. When they reached the Rectory, Mark was moved almost to tears by
the greetings.
"Dear little sister," Miriam murmured. "How happy we are to have you
with us again."
"Dear child," said Mrs. Ogilvie. "And really she does look like a nun."
"My dearest girl, we have missed you every moment of these four years,"
said the Rector, bending to kiss her. "How cold your cheek is.
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