The whole congregation was, in fact, busy in the same direction; for Martens was a man of about thirty, not otherwise than prepossessing in appearance, and it was now more than a year and a half since he had lost his first wife, so that nothing could be more natural than that he should be thinking about another.
"Good morning, ladies; good morning, Miss Garman.

I hope you are both well," said the chaplain, as he came into the room.

"I could not resist your kind invitation, although I knew by experience that a visit to you is far too agreeable to be of very short duration." "You are really too kind, Mr.Martens; and your complaisance to such a child of the world as I am, always causes me great astonishment," said Fanny, giving Madeleine a look.
"A great many people are astonished at it," answered the chaplain, not understanding her meaning.
"No, really! Who?
who ?" cried Fanny, curiously.
"Ah, you can scarcely understand," Martens began to explain, "to what an extent we poor clergymen are observed by the hundred eyes of our congregation; and the fact is, there are several most respectable old ladies who have taken offence at my frequent visits to Sandsgaard and to yourself." "No! How amusing! Do listen, Madeleine!" cried Fanny, beaming.
"It's all very well for you to laugh," said the chaplain, good humouredly; "but it might be very embarrassing for me, were it not that I can rely on the support of the good dean." "So Dean Sparre and you get on now.

I was under the impression that the relation--" "Yes, at first; only just at first.

But I am not ashamed to confess that the fault was on my side.