n he had finished his grandsons applauded noiselessly
under the book-board.

The Kitten was very much to the fore during "Praise him and magnify him
for ever," and then came the second lesson.

Eloquent walked up the aisle and took his stand at the lectern with the
utmost unconcern. Shy and awkward he might be in ordinary social
intercourse, but whenever it was a matter of standing up before his
fellow-creatures and haranguing them, his self-consciousness dropped
from him like a discarded garment, and he instantly acquired a mental
poise and serene self-confidence wholly lacking at other times.

The second lesson on Christmas morning contains the plainest possible
statement of a few great facts, and Eloquent proclaimed them in a
singularly melodious voice with just exactly the emphatic simplicity
they demanded.

The perfect sincerity of great literature is always impressive. All
over the church heads were turned in the direction of the lectern, and
when the short lesson ended the Kitten demanded in a quite audible
voice, "Why did he stop so soon for?"

Eloquent looked at Mary as he passed down the aisle to his place,
half-hoping she might meet his glance with the frank confident smile he
found so disturbing and delicious. But her eyes were bent upon her
prayer-book and she appeared quite unconscious that someone had just
been reading the Bible exceptionally well.

He felt chilled and disappointed. "It is quite possible," he reflected
bitterly, "that in this out-of-the-way old church they don't know good
reading from bad."

There is no sermon at Redmarley on Christmas morning, and people who
have been at the early service get out soon after twelve o'clock.
Eloquent waited in the churchyard and watched the young Ffolliots and
Reggie Peel come out. Mary saw him and nodded cheerfully, but she did
not, as he felt might have been expected, come up to him and exclaim,
"How beautifully you read!"

No one did.

Such of the congregation as had already been to early service hurried
home to look after the dinner; or, as in the case of the young
Ffolliots, to deposit prayer-books and take violent exercise until
lunch time.

In the afternoon Eloquent read the lessons to a very meagre assembly.
The Manor House seats were empty and his enthusiastic desire to be of
assistance to the vicar cooled considerably. His aunt during dinner
announced with the utmost frankness that wild horses would not drag her
to church "of