"From all that I can recall of him he was not a person to meet
before breakfast," yawned Francesca; "still I shall be glad of a
little fresh light, for my mind is in a most chaotic state, induced
by the intellectual preparation that you have made me undergo during
the past month. I dreamed last night that I was conducting a
mothers' meeting in Ronald's new parish, and the subject for
discussion was the Small Livings Scheme, the object of which is to
augment the stipends of the ministers of the Church of Scotland to a
minimum of 200 pounds per annum. I tried to keep the members to the
point, but was distracted by the sudden appearance, in all corners
of the church, of people who hadn't been 'asked to the party.'
There was Brian Boru, Tony Lumpkin, Finn McCool, Felicia Hemans,
Ossian, Mrs. Delany, Sitric of the Silken Beard, St. Columba, Mickey
Free, Strongbow, Maria Edgeworth, and the Venerable Bede. Imagine
leading a mothers' meeting with those people in the pews,--it was
impossible! St. Columbkille and the Venerable Bede seemed to know
about parochial charges and livings and stipends and glebes, and
Maria Edgeworth was rather helpful; but Brian and Sitric glared at
each other and brandished their hymn-books threateningly, while
Ossian refused to sit in the same pew with Mickey Free, who behaved
in an odious manner, and interrupted each of the speakers in turn.
Incidentally a group of persons huddled together in a far corner
rose out of the dim light, and flapping huge wings, flew over my
head and out of the window above the altar. This I took to be the
Flight of the Earls, and the terror of it awoke me. Whatever my
parish duties may be in the future, at least they cannot be any more
dreadful and disorderly than the dream."

"I don't know which is more to blame, the seed that I sowed, or the
soil on which it fell," said Salemina, laughing heartily at