e Queen says they are connected with the cult of the ancient Goddess
Kiss-me-quick."

"What if they are? But the Queen sees Kiss-me-quick in everything.
Another quail, if you please, Mr. Ranger."

My father brought up another bird almost directly. Silence while it was
being eaten.

"Talking of the Sunchild," said Panky; "did you ever see him?"

"Never set eyes on him, and hope I never shall."

And so on till the last bird was eaten.

"Fellow," said Panky, "fetch some more wood; the fire is nearly dead."

"I can find no more, sir," said my father, who was afraid lest some
genuine ranger might be attracted by the light, and was determined to let
it go out as soon as he had done cooking.

"Never mind," said Hanky, "the moon will be up soon."

"And now, Hanky," said Panky, "tell me what you propose to say on Sunday.
I suppose you have pretty well made up your mind about it by this time."

"Pretty nearly. I shall keep it much on the usual lines. I shall dwell
upon the benighted state from which the Sunchild rescued us, and shall
show how the Musical Banks, by at once taking up the movement, have been
the blessed means of its now almost universal success. I shall talk
about the immortal glory shed upon Sunch'ston by the Sunchild's residence
in the prison, and wind up with the Sunchild Evidence Society, and an
earnest appeal for funds to endow the canonries required for the due
service of the temple."

"Temple! what temple?" groaned my father inwardly.

"And what are you going to do about the four black and white horses?"

"Stick to them, of course--unless I make them six."

"I really do not see why they might not have been horses."

"I dare say you do not," returned the other drily, "but they were black
and white storks, and you know that as well as I do. Still, they have
caught on, and they are in the altar-piece, prancing and curvetting
magnificently, so I shall trot them out."

"Altar-piece! Altar-piece!" again groaned my father inwardly.

He need not have groaned, for when he came to see the so-called altar-
piece he found that the table above which it was placed had nothing in
common with the altar in a Christian church. It was a mere table, on
which were placed two bowls full of Musical Bank coins; two cashiers, who
sat on either side of it, dispensed a few of these to all comers, while
there was a box in front of it wherein people deposited coin of the realm
according to their will or ability