y," cried Hephzy. "What a way that is to talk! What do you know
about the hereafter?"

"Not much, but," remembering the old story, "I know Bayport. Humph!
speaking of ministers, here is one now."

Judson, the curate, was approaching across the lawn. Hephzy hastily
removed the lid of the teapot. "Yes," she said, with a sigh of relief,
"there's enough tea left, though you mustn't have any more, Hosy. Mr.
Judson always takes three cups."

Judson was introduced and, the "between-maid" having brought another
chair, he joined our party. He accepted the first of the three cups and
observed.

"I hope I haven't interrupted an important conversation. You appeared to
be talking very earnestly."

I should have answered, but Hephzy's look of horrified expostulation
warned me to be silent. Frances, although she must have seen the look,
answered instead.

"We were discussing Heaven," she said, calmly. "Mr. Knowles doesn't
approve of it."

Hephzy bounced on her chair. "Why!" she cried; "why, what a--why, WHAT
will Mr. Judson think! Now, Frances, you know--"

"That was what you said, Mr. Knowles, wasn't it. You said if Paradise
was exclusively for church members you preferred--well, another
locality. That was what I understood you to say."

Mr. Judson looked at me. He was a very good and very orthodox and a very
young man and his feelings showed in his face.

"I--I can scarcely think Mr. Knowles said that, Miss Morley," he
protested. "You must have misunderstood him."

"Oh, but I didn't misunderstand. That was what he said."

Again Mr. Judson looked at me. It seemed time for me to say something.

"What I said, or meant to say, was that I doubted if the future life,
the--er--pleasant part of it, was confined exclusively to--er--professed
church members," I explained.

The curate's ruffled feelings were evidently not soothed by this
explanation.

"But--but, Mr. Knowles," he stammered, "really, I--I am at a loss to
understand your meaning. Surely you do not mean that--that--"

"Of course he didn't mean that," put in Hephzy. "What he said was that
some of the ones who talk the loudest and oftenest in prayer-meetin' at
our Methodist church in Bayport weren't as good as they pretended to be.
And that's so, too."

Mr. Judson seemed relieved. "Oh," he exclaimed. "Oh, yes, I quite
comprehend. Methodists--er--dissenters--that is quite different--quite."

"Mr. Judson knows that no one except communicants in the Church of
En