"Very well," said Lottie, lightly; "if you have no scruples, I
have none. It will be capital sport, and will do him good. It would
be an excellent thing for his whole theological seminary if they
could have a thorough shaking up by the wicked world, which to him,
in this matter, I shall represent. They would then know what they
were preaching about. What do you say, Julian?"

"When did I ever disagree with you?" he replied, gallantly. "But
in this case I really think we owe Miss Addie a vote of thanks for
having hit upon a joke that may enliven the greater part of our
visit. This embryo parson seems a sort of a scriptural character;
and why should he not blindly, like Samson, make sport for us all?"

"I fear you do not understand your own scriptural allusion,"
sneered Bel. "Like Samson, he may also pull everything down about
our ears in a most uncomfortable manner."

"I hope you won't spoil everything by telling him or mother," said
Addie, petulantly.

"Oh, no! Since you are determined upon it, I will look on and see
the fun, if there is any. But, bah! He will find you all out in
a day. As for Lottie palming herself off as a goodish young woman
to whom any sane man would talk religion,--the very thought is
preposterous!"

"Don't be too confident, Miss Bel," said Lottie, put upon her mettle.
"If you all will only sustain me and not awaken his suspicions with
your by-play and giggling, I will deceive the ingenuous youth in