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gone out of his way to be charming to her and in Grace's opinion he was irresistible. Aunt Aggie would have had to be made of stone if she hadn't melted under this treatment.
    There was one incident that Grace feared might throw a spanner into Aunt Aggie's capitulation. This was when Donald, taking the key from his waistcoat pocket, went to the sideboard and, unlocking the cupboard door, drew out the lead-lined wine box. In the box were four bottles and a number of glasses and then he turned and looked at Aggie, saying,
    "What will you have? Sherry sweet, sherry dry?" He pointed to the bottles in turn, "Sautemes ... ? Or whiskey ... Irish?" He laughed, and Aggie replied, "I think I'll have the Sautemes, thank you."
    Grace could see that Aunt Aggie was slightly puzzled. The only glasses on the table were those for water, and when Donald placed the glass of wine before Aggie and another by the side of her plate, she felt that some explanation was due, and just as she was about to give it Donald raised his hand in his customary fashion and said brightly, "Leave the explanation to me, my dear. I am the culprit and I must answer for my sins." Before continuing he went and pushed the wine tray back into the cupboard, locked the door, then took his seat again, and, leaning across the table towards his guest, he said,
    "The truth is, I'm a " secret tippler, Aunt Aggie. "
    There was a peculiar gleam in Aggie's small bright eyes as she said flatly, "Well, that wouldn't surprise me in the least."
    "Oh, Aunt Aggie ... I and you, Donald." Grace turned on him.
    "You'll have her believing that.... It's because of Mrs. Blenkinsop, Aunt Aggie." Grace's voice was a whisper now as she leaned towards her aunt.
    "Parsons and their wives are not supposed to have wine with their meals, it would be all over the village...."
    "Let us stick to the truth. Grace," Donald put in quietly.
    "It is not that parsons are not supposed to have wine with their meals, parsons are not supposed to be able to afford wine with their meals.
    There's a fine point there. But I'm a crafty man, Aunt Aggie. I married a woman with money who could afford to pander to my secret craving." Donald did not look at Aggie as he said this but lifted the glass to eye level and twiddled the stem between his fingers. And he kept his eyes on the glass as he ended, "But there is nothing I enjoy more than a glass of wine."
    From across the table Aggie nodded slowly at him, before saying, "Well, at least I'm with you there, for if there's anything I like better than a glass of wine me self it's two glasses of wine."
    The vicar let himself laugh at this triteness, and Grace thought how odd it was that these two should agree on the one point which she had dreaded might be the means of widening the gulf between them. Donald's system concerning the wine came under the heading of duplicity, and she hadn't expected her aunt to condone it. No, she had expected her to attack it, with a 'well, what did I tell you? " She was very relieved.
    Lunch over, the atmosphere all she could desire, she lost no time when she was alone with Aggie in bringing before her notice the virtues of her husband. That which she felt would impress her aunt most was the fact that he would not allow her to use the car for visiting, nor would he use it himself for such a purpose. Moreover, there was the fact that he insisted they could only afford Mrs. Blenkinsop for half days.
    And finally, he only had three pairs of shoes and he wouldn't buy any more until at least one pair was worn out.
    "Well, he can't manage to wear more than one pair at a time, can he?"
    Aggie's dry remark was delivered without a smile and brought Grace to fluster.
    "Yes, Aunt Aggie, but you understand what I--' " Yes, yes, I understand all right. " Aggie patted Grace on the knee.
    "Don't trash yourself, child. We'll get along all right, I suppose, when we get to know each other a bit better, but don't you work too hard at it or you'll wear yourself