n indictable
offence.

Small as the salary was, it was more than young Yolland was clearing by
his connection with Dr. Kingston; and as he would have to spare himself
during the next few months, and could not without danger undertake the
exertions of a wide field of Union practice, the offer was quite worth
his acceptance. Moreover, he had the enthusiasm of a practical
chemist, and would willingly have starved to see his invention carried
out, so he received the appointment with the gruff gratitude that best
suited Harold; and he and his brother were to have rooms in the late
"Dragon's Head," so soon as it should have been rebuilt on improved
principles, with a workman's hall below, and a great court for the
children to play in by day and the lads in the evening.

Of the clerical Yolland we saw and heard very little. Harold was much
relieved to find that even before his brother could move beyond the
sofa, he was always out all day, for though he had never spoken a word
that sounded official, Harold had an irrational antipathy to his black
attire. Nor did I hear him preach, except by accident, for Arghouse
chapelry was in the beat of the other curate, and in the afternoon,
when I went to Mycening old church, he had persuaded Mr. Crosse to let
him begin what was then a great innovation--a children's service, with
open doors, in the National School-room. Miss Woolmer advised me to try
the effect of this upon Dora, whose Sundays were a constant perplexity
and reproach to me, since she always ran away into the plantations or
went with Harold to see the horses; and if we did succeed in dragging
her to church, there behaved in the most unedifying manner.

"I don't like the principle of cutting religion down for children,"
said my old friend. "They ought to be taught to think it a favour to
be admitted to grown-up people's services, and learn to follow them,
instead of having everything made to please them. It is the sugar-plum
system, and so I told Mr. Ben, but he says you must catch wild heathens
with sugar; and as I am afraid your poor child is not much better, you
had better try the experiment."

I did try it, and the metrical litany and the hymns happily took Dora's
fancy, so that she submitted to accompany me whenever Harold was to sit
with George Yolland, and would not take her.

One afternoon, when I was not well, I was going to send her with
Colman, and Harold coming in upon her tempest of resistance, and try