He was disappointed, and went out, hoping to see her at dinner.

Dinner time came; he sat down to the meal, finished it, lingered on for a whole hour, although two new teachers were at that moment waiting at the chapel-door to speak to him by appointment.
It was useless to wait longer, and he slowly went his way down the lane, cheered by the thought that, after all, he would see her in the evening, and perhaps engage again in the delightful tub-broaching in the neighbouring church tower, which proceeding he resolved to render more moral by steadfastly insisting that no water should be introduced to fill up, though the tub should cluck like all the hens in Christendom.

But nothing could disguise the fact that it was a queer business; and his countenance fell when he thought how much more his mind was interested in that matter than in his serious duties.
However, compunction vanished with the decline of day.

Night came, and his tea and supper; but no Lizzy Newberry, and no sweet temptations.

At last the minister could bear it no longer, and said to his quaint little attendant, 'Where is Mrs.Newberry to-day ?' judiciously handing a penny as he spoke.
'She's busy,' said Martha.
'Anything serious happened ?' he asked, handing another penny, and revealing yet additional pennies in the background.
'O no--nothing at all!' said she, with breathless confidence.