, isn't it?" she continued. "Good-bye, or I
shall be late. Come and see me to-morrow: you'll be tired to-night."

Thus they parted, and Fancy proceeded to the church. The organ stood on
one side of the chancel, close to and under the immediate eye of the
vicar when he was in the pulpit, and also in full view of the
congregation. Here she sat down, for the first time in such a
conspicuous position, her seat having previously been in a remote spot in
the aisle.

"Good heavens--disgraceful! Curls and a hat and feather!" said the
daughters of the small gentry, who had either only curly hair without a
hat and feather, or a hat and feather without curly hair. "A bonnet for
church always," said sober matrons.

That Mr. Maybold was conscious of her presence close beside him during
the sermon; that he was not at all angry at her development of costume;
that he admired her, she perceived. But she did not see that he loved
her during that sermon-time as he had never loved a woman before; that
her proximity was a strange delight to him; and that he gloried in her
musical success that morning in a spirit quite beyond a mere cleric's
glory at the inauguration of a new order of things.

The old choir, with humbled hearts, no longer took their seats in the
gallery as heretofore (which was now given up to the school-children who
were not singers, and a pupil-teacher), but were scattered about with
their wives in different parts of the church. Having nothing to do with
conducting the service for almost the first time in their lives, they all
felt awkward, out of place, abashed, and inconvenienced by their hands.
The tranter had proposed that they should stay away to-day and go
nutting, but grandfather William would not hear of such a thing for a
moment. "No," he replied reproachfully, and quoted a verse: "Though this
has come upon us, let not our hearts be turned back, or our steps go out
of the way."

So they stood and watched the curls of hair trailing down the back of the
successful rival, and the waving of her feather, as she swayed her head.
After a few timid notes and uncertain touches her playing became markedly
correct, and towards the end full and free. But, whether from prejudice
or unbiassed judgment, the venerable body of musicians could not help
thinking that the simpler notes they had been wont to bring forth were
more in keeping with the simplicity of their old church than the crowded
chords and interludes i