384: ROBIN AND THE "PEACOCK." 



and lowering its flight, contriving always to elude the gaping 

 jaws of its more powerful pursuer. Ah, Kobin ! thy rapacious 

 pursuit of the innocent was wofully out of place in that hal- 

 lowed fane ; but where, alas ! is the sacred edifice not defiled 

 on each returning sabbath by pursuits more desecrating still, 

 pursuits of careering headstrong will after wealth, and plea- 

 sure, and perchance revenge, carried on by some, by many of the 

 lip-serving and worldly worshippers met together in what they 

 denominate their house of prayer? The novel chase (novel, at 

 least, in the scene of its "coming off") lasted longer than the 

 sermon, so that its results we never knew, except that it 

 served, as we have said, to divert the attention of some, per- 

 haps older than ourselves, from the matter and manner of the 

 pastor's unseasonable selection. My poor uncle ! on an ordi- 

 nary day, he too would have been diverted, perhaps to an 

 indecorous extent, by that bird and insect episode. 



It was some time before the nature of that Christmas intel- 

 ligence by which the vicar was so sensibly affected became 

 apparent. For awhile there was no change within his house- 

 hold, save in his own dull depressed demeanour, with a shade 

 of sympathetic gloom discernible in the face of Mrs. Dove. 

 Then, as from a tree shaken by autumn blasts, every redun- 

 dancy was seen to fall from the comfortable establishment of 

 the parsonage cottage. House and kitchen-maids, stable-lad, 

 and gardener, were one by one dismissed; the cows were 

 driven to a fair ; the pony became the property of a neighbour 



