As soon as Missy entered the parlour she recognised the person sitting with his back to the window. He had lantern jaws hung with black whiskers, and a very long but not so very cleanshaven upper lip. His name was Appleton, he was the local minister, and Missy had not only been taken to hear him preach, but she had met him personally, and made an impression, judging by the length of time the ministers hand had rested upon her shoulder on that occasion. He greeted her now in a very complimentary manner, and with many seasonable wishes, which received the echo of an echo from the elder reverend visitor, whom Mrs. Teesdale made known to Missy as their old friend Mr. Crowdy.
"Mr. Crowdy," added Mrs. T., reproachfully, "came all the way from Williamtown to preach our Christmas morning sermon. It was a beautiful sermon, if ever I heard one."
"It was that," put in David, wagging his kind old head. "But you should have told Mr. Crowdy, my dear, how Miriam feels our heat. I wouldn't let her go this morning, Mr. Crowdy, on that account. So you see it's me that's to blame."
Mr. Crowdy looked very sorry for Miriam, but very well pleased with himself and the world. Missy was shooting glances of gratitude at her indefatigable old champion. Mr. Crowdy began to eye her kindly out of his fat red face.
"So your name's Miriam? A good old-fashioned Biblical name, is Miriam," he said, in a wheezy, plethoric voice. "Singular thing, too, my name's Aaron; but I'd make an oldish brother for you, young lady, hey?"
Miriam laughed without understanding, and showed this. So Mr. Teesdale explained.
"Miriam, my dear, was the sister of Moses and Aaron, you remember."
"Moses and Aaron? Why, of course!" cried she. "'Says Moses to Aaron! '"
The quotation was not meant to go any further; but the white-haired minister asked blandly, "Well, what did he say?" So bland, indeed, was the question that Missy hummed forth after a very trifling hesitation--
There was a short but perfect silence, during which Mrs. Teesdale glared at Missy and her husband looked pained. Then the old minister simply remarked that he saw no fun in profanity, and John William (who was visibly out of his element) felt frightfully inclined to punch Mr. Crowdy's white head for him. But the Reverend Mr. Appleton took a lighter view of the matter.