A Fatal Silence, Vol. 1 (of 3) by Florence Marryat

THE CROSS-EXAMINATION.

Mr Gribble had been there before her, of course. He had trotted over, big with importance, and ruffled like an angry cockerel, directly after breakfast, to tell the parson of the discovery he had made. But somewhat to his astonishment, and greatly to his indignation, his story was not received with the horror he had anticipated. Mr Measures was a good, fatherly man, full of sympathy for the young and friendless, and slow to suspect evil, because he committed none. His wife followed his example, and was, moreover, much more cordially disposed towards the school teacher than towards the churchwarden. So they heard Mr Gribble's account in silence, and then Mr Measures remarked that he did not suppose that Miss Stafford intended her action to be taken as either unkind or rude. Mr Gribble stared.