content with the small victory she had
gained, and perhaps, by-and-by, she might be able to persuade Marion to
go to Bible-class with her, and thus put an end to these Sunday
excursions. In the meantime, she must go with her cousins for a walk
or a pleasure trip on a Sunday afternoon, or else Marion would refuse
to accompany her to school.

It seemed strange to Kate, at first, to be walking about in the noisy
streets, or gazing at the fashionable, gaily-dressed people in the
Park, but she soon began to enjoy discussing this one's dress and that
one's bonnet almost as much as her cousins did, and her younger cousin
said, "You will soon wear off all your country rust, Kate. How could
you have lived in that pokey place so long?"

"Oh, it wasn't pokey a bit," said Kate warmly; "I had lots of friends
there, and that is what we are not allowed to have here. Don't you
find that rule of Mrs. Maple's rather hard to keep sometimes, Marion?"
she added.

"What rule?" said Marion.

"About saying as few words as possible to the customers in the shop;
Mrs. Maple told me she was most strict about it."

"Well, I suppose she is," said Marion, carelessly; "at least, just at
first;" but they were joined at this moment by two young men, whom Kate
instantly recognised as being frequent visitors at the shop.

She cast an inquiring glance at Marion, as one of them said, "This is
the cousin you told me was coming to help you in the shop, I suppose?"

"I have been there all the week, and seen you several times, I think,"
said Kate quickly, at which they all burst into a loud laugh.

A few minutes afterwards they were joined by some more friends, who
were likewise customers at the shop, as Kate's eyes instantly told her,
and she wondered whether her cousin did keep the rule about friends and
customers, as strictly as Mrs. Maple supposed.

Before the next week was over, she found that these friends of Marion's
came in for buns or pastry when Mrs. Maple was sure to be out of the
way, and a good deal of laughing and chatting went on between them.

"Of course I don't keep such a stupid rule as that, Kate, how can I?"
said her cousin afterwards, when they were talking about this. "It
would not do to laugh and chat with the old lady in the way, but where
is the harm I should like to know?"

Kate shook her head. "Of course I don't understand business," she
said, "but I thought it was a strange rule, myself."

"A strange rule! It is t