It was fortunate that they had arrived home before Vicar Ferney retired and left the neighborhood altogether. Rachel was remarkably fond of the old man, as they all were, even though they were in the habit of complaining and joking about the length of his sermons and his tendency to hide away in his study from one week's end to another if no one happened to bring to his attention a serious illness or an imminent death. Papa had deliberately arranged their homecoming so that they would be in time to attend this farewell dinner that Algie had planned.

Rachel was feeling very happy. Just half an hour before, she had met Algie for the first time in five days, and she had been so delighted to see him that she had had to restrain herself from rushing into his arms and hugging him until she broke every bone in her arms. She had only to see his unruly fair hair, his large, distinguished nose, his absurdly high shirt points, and his broad, well-set shoulders to know that she still felt as great an affection for him as ever. She had been dreadfully afraid that it would no longer be so. She would have felt as if the ground had been pulled from beneath her feet if she could no longer think of Algie in terms of her future.

She had not either cried or hugged him. She had merely offered her hand in such a way that he was obliged to carry it to his lips, even assuming that he had not intended to do so anyway, and told him so eagerly of all she had done in the days since they saw each other last, including a detailed account of their journey from town, that her words tripped all over themselves and she was quite breathless when she finished. Algie had laughed and squeezed her hand and called her "Rache" in that endearing way of his, and she had been entirely happy. She had been able to turn to Mr. Gower and offer him her hand without giving away to any observer the fact that her heart was beating right up into her throat. She had almost been able to meet his eyes. She had fixed her own quite firmly on the bridge of his nose, between his eyes. She did not think she had even blushed.