Whilst Jemima and Keziah listened eagerly to the stories of the student's son, with the delight natural to Puritan maidens denied any participation in such scenes of merriment, Jacob was looking rather dismally round the room, and presently broke in with the question: "But where, all this time, is Cherry ?" "Strewing rushes in the eating parlour, I doubt not," answered Keziah.

"She went out a while back to cut them.

She loveth not dry disputings and learned talk.

Belike she will linger below till nigh on the supper hour an Aunt Susan call her not." "I love not such disputings neither," said Jacob, with unwonted energy.

"Good Kezzie, let us twain slip below to help Cherry over her task." Keziah gave a quick glance at the face of her stern aunt, who loved not this sort of slipping away during times of ceremony; but she had her back to them and to the door, and was engrossed in the talk as well as in the stocking fabric upon her needles.