"You love your old parish church, like a faithful old churchwoman,"
said Magdalen. "Well, you see, I am faithful enough to go to my
parish in the morning, but I think we may be discursive afterwards.
There is a Sunday school in which I was waiting to offer help till
our party was made up."

Magdalen had looked twice for a responding smile, first from Agatha,
and then from Paulina, but none was awakened. The girls clustered
together in the bedroom, and the word "Goody" passed between them.

"Tempered by respect for my Lord and Sir Jasper," added Agatha.

"And avoiding St. Kenelm's because it is the real correct church,"
said Paulina.

"Oh, yes!" cried Vera. "Mr. Hubert Delrio went to see it in case
Eccles and Beamster should have an order. We must go there."

"Of course," said Paulina, with a sympathetic nod.

"But," said Agatha, "there will be an embargo on all acquaintance
except the grandees at Clipstone."

"I shall never drop old friends," cried Vera. "I am a rock of
crystal as regards them, whatever swells may require, if they burst
themselves like the frog and the ox."

"Well done, crystal rock; but suppose the old friends slide off and
drop you?" laughed Agatha.