dify me on
thy return with what thou mayest remember of his discourse."

But the kind heart of dame Spikeman was not so easily to be diverted
from its purpose, and she persisted, with some pertinacity, in a
determination to remain, until her husband laid his commands upon her
to attend the lecture.

"I will obey," she then said, "sithence it is thy wish; and is it not
written, Adam was first made, and then Eve; and I will pray for thee,
dear heart, in the congregation, that He will keep thee in all thy
ways, nor let the enemy approach to harm or to tempt thee."

Spikeman winced, and perhaps his conscience pricked him at the moment,
but he betrayed no confusion as he replied:

"I thank thee, sweet duck, and may the Lord recompense thy love a
thousand fold. But hasten, now, for it would ill-become the wife of my
bosom to lag in attendance on the lecture. Meanwhile, I will meditate
on the holy volume, and comfort myself as a Christian man may."

Dame Spikeman's ample fardingale swept the sides of the doorway as she
turned to take a last look at her husband over her shoulder--a look
that contained as much of suspicion as of affection. He must be,
indeed, a paragon of hypocrisy who can conceal himself from his wife,
however dull she may be, and the faculties of the dame were as sharp
as those of most of her sex.

Presently she was heard calling, "Eveline; why, Eveline, art not ready
yet?" to which a sweet voice responded, "here am I, dame," succeeded
by the pattering of quick, light feet, and a young woman, veiled,
glided to her side, and they left the house together, accompanied by a
servant. Spikeman gazed after them through the window, which, as
belonging to a house of the better class, was made of glass instead of
oiled paper, which supplied its place in the humbler tenements, till
they were out of sight. The drum had some time before ceased its
sonorous rattle, indicating thereby that the services had commenced,
and the streets were bare of the last loiterer. Spikeman then resumed
his seat, listening and glancing occasionally at the door, as if he
was expecting some one to enter. At last, as if tired of waiting, he
rose, and going to the door, called softly, "Prudence." No answer was
returned, and in tones a little raised he called again. This time a
voice replied, "I am coming, your worship," and the Assistant returned
to his seat. Perhaps five minutes longer passed, and he was becoming
more impatient, and had r