"When I am grown up," said Denis, "I mean to be the same church as Aunt
Cissy."

"And what may that be?" inquired the Canon.

Denis was silent and looked perplexed; but some time afterwards, when we
were talking of other things, he called out, with the joy of one who has
captured that elusive thing, a definition:

"In Aunt Cissy's church they climb trees and make toffee on Sundays."

After which Lady Atherley seemed glad to take them both away with her.

It was perhaps this remark that led the Canon to ask, on the way to
church--

"Is it true that Mrs. de Noël attends a dissenting chapel?"

"No," said Lady Atherley. "But I know why people say so. She lent a
field last year to the Methodists to have their camp-meeting in."

"Oh! but that is a pity," said the Canon. "A very great pity--a person
in her position encouraging dissent, especially when there is no real
occasion for it. Clara's nephew, young Littlemore, did something of the
kind last year, but then he was standing for the county; and though that
hardly justifies, it excuses, a little pandering to the multitude."

"Cissy only let them have it once," said Lady Atherley, as if making the
best of it. "And, indeed, I believe it rained so hard that day they were
not able to have the meeting after all."