satire upon the Church?'

'Ah--so it was: but the example will do to illustrate my meaning.'

'Quite so--I understand--so it will,' said Mrs. Belmaine, with clouded
faculties.

Meanwhile Christopher's music had arrived. An accomplished gentleman who
had every musical talent except that of creation, scanned the notes
carefully from top to bottom, and sat down to accompany the singer. There
was no lady present of sufficient confidence or skill to venture into a
song she had never seen before, and the only one who had seen it was
Ethelberta herself; she did not deny having practised it the greater part
of the afternoon, and was very willing to sing it now if anybody would
derive pleasure from the performance. Then she began, and the sweetness
of her singing was such that even the most unsympathetic honoured her by
looking as if they would be willing to listen to every note the song
contained if it were not quite so much trouble to do so. Some were so
interested that, instead of continuing their conversation, they remained
in silent consideration of how they would continue it when she had
finished; while the particularly civil people arranged their countenances
into every attentive form that the mind could devise. One emotional
gentleman looked at the corner of a chair as if, till that moment, such
an object had never crossed his vision before; the movement of his finger
to the imagined tune was, for a deaf old clergyman, a perfect mine of
interest; whilst a young man from the country was powerless to put an end
to an enchanted gaze at nothing at all in the exact middle of the room
before him. Neigh, and the general phalanx of cool men and celebrated
club yawners, were so much affected that they raised their chronic look
of great objection to things, to an expression of scarcely any objection