anything of the kind."

"That's not wicked, Mrs. Boyce. If I were to say I had eaten so much
lunch that I didn't want any dinner, you'd understand that. If Mr
Swanton will preach for three-quarters of an hour--"

"He only preached for three-quarters of an hour once, Lily."

"He has been over the half-hour every Sunday since he has been here.
His average is over forty minutes, and I say it's a shame."

"It is not a shame at all, Lily," said Mrs. Boyce, becoming very
serious.

"Look at my uncle; he doesn't like to go to sleep, and he has to
suffer a purgatory in keeping himself awake."

"If your uncle is heavy, how can Mr. Swanton help it? If Mr. Dale's
mind were on the subject he would not sleep."

"Come, Mrs. Boyce; there's somebody else sleeps sometimes besides my
uncle. When Mr. Boyce puts up his finger and just touches his nose, I
know as well as possible why he does it."

"Lily Dale, you have no business to say so. It is not true. I don't
know how you can bring yourself to talk in that way of your own
clergyman. If I were to tell your mamma, she would be shocked."

"You won't be so ill-natured, Mrs. Boyce,--after all that I've done
for the church."

"If you think more about the clergyman, Lily, and less about the
church," said Mrs. Boyce very sententiously, "more about the matter
and less about the manner, more of the reality and less of the form,
I think you'd find that your religion would go further with you. Miss
Crawley is the daughter of a clergyman, and I'm sure she will agree
with me."

"If she agrees with anybody in scolding me I'll quarrel with her."

"I didn't mean to scold you, Lily."

"I don't mind it from you, Mrs. Boyce. Indeed, I rather like it. It
is a sort of pastoral visitation; and as Mr. Boyce never scolds me
himself I take it from him by attorney." Then there was silence for
a minute or two, during which Mrs. Boyce was endeavouring to discover
whether Miss Dale was laughing at her or not. As she was not quite
certain, she thought at last that she would let the suspected fault
pass unobserved. "Don't wait for us, Mrs. Boyce," said Lily. "We must
remain till Hopkins has sent Gregory to sweep the church out and take
away the rubbish. We'll see that the key is left at Mrs. Giles's."

"Thank you, my dear. Then I may as well go. I thought I'd come in
and see that it was all right. I'm sure Mr. Boyce will be very much
obliged to you and Miss Crawley. Good-night, my dear."

"Good-nig