more, competition, the lack of which rendered her dull and listless
over her lessons, and when reproved, she would beg to be sent to
school, or, at least, to attend the High School on her bicycle. Not
admiring the manners or the attainments of the specimens before her,
Magdalen felt bound to refuse, and the sisters' pity kept alive the
grievance.

She had, however, decided on granting the bicycles. She had found
plenty of use for her own, for it was possible with prudent use of
it, avoiding the worst parts of the road, to be at early celebration
at St. Andrew's, and get to the Sunday school at Arnscombe
afterwards; and Paulina, with a little demur, decided on giving her
assistance there.

At a Propagation of the Gospel meeting at the town hall, the Misses
Prescott were introduced to the Reverend Augustine Flight, of St.
Kenelm's, and his mother, Lady Flight, who sat next to Magdalen, and
began to talk eagerly of the designs for the ceiling of their church,
and the very promising young artist who was coming down from Eccles
and Beamster to undertake the work.

The church had not yet been seen, and the conversation ended in the
sisters coming back to tea, at which Paula was very happy, for the
talk had something of the rather exclusive High Church tone that was
her ideal. She had seen it in books, but had never heard it before
in real life, and Vera was in a restless state, longing to hear
whether the promising young artist was really Hubert Delrio, and
hoping, while she believed that she feared, that she should blush
when she heard his name. However, she did not, though Mr. Flight
unfolded his rough plans for the frescoes, which were to be of virgin