ght not be argued with
him again, as he was resolved against amusement for the present.

Then Phil grew very angry both with Herbert and Jenny.

"Did they suppose he wanted the boy to do anything unclerical?"

"No; but you know it was by nothing positively unclerical that he
was led aside before."

Phil broke out into a tirade against the folly of Jenny's speech.
In his view, Herbert's conduct at Wil'sbro' had confuted the
Bishop's censure, and for his own part, he only wished to amuse the
boy, and give him rest, and if he did take him to a ball, or even
out with the hounds, he would be on leave, and in another diocese,
where the Bishop had nothing to do with him.

Jenny tried to make him understand that dread of the Bishop was the
last thing in Herbert's mind. It was rather that he did not think
it right to dissipate away a serious impression.

That was worse than before. She was threatened with the most
serious displeasure of her father and mother, if she encouraged
Herbert in the morbid ascetic notions ascribed to Dr. Easterby.

"It was always the way with the women--they never knew where to
stop."

"No," said Jenny, "I did not know there was anywhere to stop in the
way of Heaven."

"As if there were no way to Heaven without making a fool of
oneself."

This answer made Jenny sorry for her own, as needlessly vexatious,
and yet she recollected St. Paul's Christian paradoxes, and felt
that poor Herbert might have laid hold of the true theory of the
ministry. At any rate, she was glad that they were at that moment
hailed and overtaken by the party from the Rectory, and that Phil
pounced at once on Julius, to obtain his sanction to giving Herbert
a little diversion at York.

Julius answered more warily, "Does he wish it?"

"No; but he is too weak yet, and is hipped and morbid."

"Well, Phil, I would not put it into his head. No doubt you would
take very good care of him, but I doubt whether your father would
like the Bishop to hear of him--under the circumstances--going to
disport himself at the dragoon mess. Besides, I don't think he will
be well enough before Lent, and then of course he could not."

This outer argument in a man's voice pacified Phil, as Julius knew
it would, much better than the deeper one, and he contented himself
with muttering that he should write to his father about it, which
every one knew he was most likely not to do.

Who could have foretold last Christmas who would be th