It seems that the living is about to be vacant
again, for Seymour has had a very good one presented to him in the
north; and the parishioners have petitioned the bishop, and petitioned
me to accept the charge again. See, here are hundreds of signatures, and
the churchwardens tell me every man and woman in the parish would have
signed if there had been room. The bishop speaks very kindly about it,
too, and they want my answer by the mail going out next week."
"And what will you say?" asked Sophy breathlessly.
"It is for you to say," he answered; "you must decide. Could you go back
happily, Sophy? As for me, I never loved, or shall love, any place like
Upton. I dream of it often. Yet I could not return to it at any great
cost to you, be sure of that. You must answer the question. We have been
very happy together here, all of us; and you and I have been truer
Christians than perhaps we could ever have been if we had stayed at
home. If you decide to settle here, I for one will never regret it."
"Would it be safe for me to go back?" she faltered.
"As safe for you as for me," he answered emphatically; "do not be afraid
of that.
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