know any such chapter in
the Bible as that,' I said, and yet I know my Bible pretty well. She
explained it was a continuation of the Acts of the Apostles. I said:
'My dear child, don't you be misled by any jugglery of that kind; there
is no continuation of the Bible; and as to what people call the early
church, its doings and sayings are of no consequence at all. The one
question we have to ask ourselves is this: '"What does the Book say?"'
What is in the Book is God's word: what is not in the Book is only
man's."

The effect of this exposition on Lady Atherley was to make her ask
eagerly whether the curate in charge at Rood Warren was one of the
Austyns of Temple Leigh.

"I believe he is a nephew," Mrs. Mostyn admitted, quite gloomily for
her. "It is painful to see people of good standing going astray in this
manner."

"I was thinking it would be so convenient to get a young man over to
dinner sometimes; and Rood Warren cannot be very far from us, for one of
Mr. Austyn's parishioners lives just at the end of Weald."

"If you take my advice, my dearest Jane, you will not have anything to
do with him. He is certain to be attractive--men of that sort always
are; and there is no saying what he might do: perhaps gain an influence
over George himself."

"I don't think there need be any fear of that, for at dinner, you know,
we need not have any religious discussions; I never will have them; they
are almost as bad as politics, they make people so cross."

Then she rose and explained her visit to Mrs. de Noel.

"But, Mr. Lyndsay," said Mrs. Mostyn, "are you going to desert the old
woman for the young one, or are you going to stay and see my gardens and
have tea? That is right. Good-bye, my dearest Jane. Give my dear love to
Cissy, and tell her to come over and see me--but I shall have a glimpse
of her on your way back."

"I hope Mrs. de Noel may be persuaded to come back," I said, as the
carriage drove off, and we walked along a gravel path by lawns of velvet
smoothness; "I would so much like to meet her."

"Have you never met her? Dear Cecilia! She is a sweet creature--the
sweetest, I think, I ever met, though perhaps I ought not to say so of
my own niece. She wants but one thing--the grace of God."

We passed into a little wood, tapestried with ivy, carpeted with
clustering primroses, and she continued--

"It is most mysterious. Both Cecilia and George, being left orphans so
early, were brought up by my dear s