burden. I think lying must have originated with an erring woman."

Joy looked at her rector with startled eyes. "A lie is never
excusable," she said, "and I do not believe it ever saves sorrow.
But I see you do not mean what you say, you only feel very sorry for
the girl; and you surely do not forget that the lie originated with
Satan, who told a falsehood to Eve."



CHAPTER X



Ever since early girlhood Joy Irving had formed a habit of jotting
down in black and white her own ideas regarding any book, painting,
concert, conversation or sermon, which interested her, and
epitomising the train of thought to which they led.

The evening after her walk and talk with the rector of St Blank's,
she took out her note-book, which bore a date four years old under
its title "My Impressions," and read over the last page of entries.
They had evidently been written at the close of some Sabbath day and
ran as follows:-


Many a kneeling woman is more occupied with how her skirts hang than
how her prayers ascend. I am inclined to think we all ought to wear
a uniform to church if we would really worship there. God must grow
weary looking down on so many new bonnets.