"Of sorts," admitted Morna, whose spoken English was by no means
undefiled. But it turned out to have been a mathematical degree; and
when, under sympathetic pressure, Morna vouchsafed particulars, even
Rachel knew enough to appreciate the honors which the vicar's wife had
won. What was more difficult to understand was how so young a woman of
such distinguished attainments could be content to hide her light under
the bushel of a country vicarage; and Rachel could not resist some
expression of her wonderment on that point.

"Did you do nothing with it all," she asked, "before you married?"

"No," said Morna; "you see, I got engaged in the middle of it, and the
week after the lists came out we were married."

"What a career to have given up!"

"I would give it up again," said Morna, with a warmer blush; and Rachel
was left with a deeper envy.

"I am afraid we shall have nothing in common," sighed Mrs. Steel, as
they neared the house. "I have no education worthy the name."

Morna waxed all but indignant at the implication; she had a morbid
horror of being considered a "blue-stocking," which she revealed with
much girlish naïveté and unconscious simplicity of sentiment and praise.
She was not so narrow as all that; she had had enough of learning; she
had forgotten all that she had learnt; any dolt could be crammed to pass
examinations. On the contrary, she was quite sure they would have heaps
in common; for example, she was longing for some one to bicycle with;
her husband seldom had the time, and he did not care for her to go quite