He seemed to think it beneath his notice; for, he only said "Thank you, Lorton!" and dropped back behind us again with Bessie Dasher, while Seraphine joined company with little Miss Pimpernell--Min and I being still together in front.
By-and-by our talk was resumed in the same strain from which the curate's interpellation had diverted it.

I had just spoken of Gay the fabulist.

I told her of his sad history:--how it was shown in the bitter epitaph which he had composed for his own tomb-- "Life's a jest, and all things show it; I _thought_ so once, and now I _know_ it!" From this we drifted on to Gray's Elegy, through the near similarity of the two poets' names.
"I think," said Min, "that that unadded verse of his which is always left out of the published poem, is nicer than any of the regular ones; for it touches on two of my favourites, the violet and the dear little robin redbreast!" "You mean, I suppose," said I, "the one commencing-- "`There, scatter'd oft, the earliest of the year--'" "Yes," said Min, continuing it in her low, sweet voice-- "`By hands unseen, are showers of violets found; The redbreast loves to build and warble there, And little footsteps lightly print the ground.'" "You like violets, then ?" I asked.

"I think you told me you did, though, before." "Yes," she said impulsively, "I love them, I love them, I love them!" "Ah!" thought I to myself, determining that she should never from henceforth be without an ample supply of violets, if I could help it, "Ah, I wish you would love _me_!" But, I did not give utterance to the thought, contenting myself with keeping up the conversation respecting the Elegy.

"It is generally considered," said I aloud, "that the best verse of Gray's is that in which he says-- "`Some village Hampden, that with dauntless breast, The little tyrant of his fields withstood, Some mute inglorious Milton here may rest, Some Cromwell guiltless of his country's blood!'" "Hullo, Lorton!" shouted out Mr Mawley again close at my back, when I had believed him to be some distance off.