"But that is not an example for us to follow," gasped Amabel.

"Unfortunately, we can't afford to. You don't know what a
world of trouble I take in trying to rival the lilies in
their artistic simplicity."

"You are really indecently vain of your appearance. A good
life is infinitely preferable to good looks."

"You agree with me that the two are incompatible. I always
say beauty is only sin deep."

Amabel began to realise that the battle is not always to the
strong-minded. With the immemorial resource of her sex, she
abandoned the frontal attack, and laid stress on her
unassisted labours in parish work, her mental loneliness, her
discouragements--and at the right moment she produced
strawberries and cream. Reginald was obviously affected by
the latter, and when his preceptress suggested that he might
begin the strenuous life by helping her to supervise the
annual outing of the bucolic infants who composed the local
choir, his eyes shone with the dangerous enthusiasm of a
convert.

Reginald entered on the strenuous life alone, as far as
Amabel was concerned. The most virtuous women are not proof
against damp grass, and Amabel kept her bed with a cold.
Reginald called it a dispensation; it had been the dream of
his life to stage-manage a choir outing. With strategic
insight, he led his shy, bullet-headed charges to the nearest