hasn't a bomb in his pocket."

"I don't know him, but I'll ask Hubert," said Winifred, and she passed
the question along.

"Hubert, who is that man yonder--the one with the high shoulders.
Adele thinks he is an anarchist."

"I think so, too," said Hubert. "At least he is a socialist of a very
virulent type. He has come as a critic, I suppose. He professes to
study religionists, and writes scornful letters about them to a
socialist paper."

Winifred communicated this intelligence to Adele, who was much pleased
with her own acumen. Presently she resumed:

"Do look at that woman ahead of us!--the one in the little bonnet, and
so distressingly neat. She has been surveying us. She doesn't approve
of me, but she commiserates me. That's plain enough. Well, I am a
sinner, no doubt, and she has found me out! If she looks around again
do see what you think of her."

Mrs. Bland did look around again, and both young ladies observed her.
A rather shapely mouth was settled in an expression of studied repose,
and her eyes rested approvingly, or with patient toleration, on others
who were minded to come to the Bible lecture. Her hair was parted with
conscientious exactness, and upon her whole appearance there sat the
picture of conscious piety.

"Oh, I can't stand her!" whispered Adele in an ecstasy of dislike. "I
should fly if I had to look at her long! Sister Saint Serena--the
Salubrious!"

Winifred choked down a laugh at Adele's suddenly inspired alliteration,
while Hubert looked a dignified reproach. It was a poor preparation,
certainly, for what was to follow. Adele's face straightened
innocently, while Winifred still struggled to suppress her risibility.

There were few preliminaries before Mr. Bond proceeded to speak. His
subject dealt with vital matters, with underlying truth upon which
rests all lesser fact, and he spoke with a calm certainty, unlike "the
Scribes." His lecture betrayed a familiarity with the Scriptures such
as his auditors had seldom met with before, and a reverence for them
born not of superstition but of some apprehension of their unfathomed
depths. Our little party listened with fascinated interest.
Especially was Hubert delighted when from the portions that had been
the favorite debating ground of his sceptical friends riches of meaning
were discovered that stamped unmistakably the divine imprimatur upon
them. Winifred and Adele forgot Mrs. Bland and every one else
listening