t, I said to her,--

'Miss Rayner, I have been thinking over our conversation last night.
Do you think doing good to our fellow-creatures is all that God
requires of us? Is He Himself not to have a place in our life? What
do you think of words like these, "Thou hast created all things, and
for Thy pleasure they are and were created"?'

'Now, look here,' she said good-naturedly, 'I am not going to be
preached to. The chief thing that made me take to you was, that you
were not a prig, with all your extreme devotedness. And I will not
enter into religious discussions. I might disturb your faith, and I
don't want to do that. Keep your religion to yourself, and live it
out, child, if you want to impress others. I am sick of cant and
humbug--be real and true, and you are sure to commend your views to
others, but you will never do it by preaching at them.'

I coloured up. 'I didn't mean to preach,' I began.

'You felt it was on your conscience to say more to me. Oh, I know all
about it! I can read your face like a book, and you took about ten
minutes to make up your mind to do it.'

I could not help laughing at her tone, but said no more, as I saw how
useless it would be.

It was a few days after this that Kenneth made his appearance. He rode
up to the door just as we were sitting down to luncheon.

'What do you want?' asked Miss Rayner sharply, as she made him welcome
at the table. 'I am not accustomed to visits from you.'

'No,' Kenneth said, laughing; 'I only came to see how Goody Two-Shoes
was getting on, and whether she wants to come home again.'

'I am very happy here, thank you,' I said.

'I was not aware that the arrangement of her affairs was in your
hands,' Miss Rayner remarked drily.

Kenneth laughed again good-humouredly. 'Well, you see, my father is
away, and I am acting as his representative. What do you think of her,
aunt? Has she been trying to convert you yet?'

Miss Rayner's eyes sparkled a little as she looked across at me. 'I am
not going to tell tales,' she said. 'We understand each other, I
think--at any rate, we are trying to.'

'I am afraid she has not had sufficient scope at our house, for we are
too many for her,' Kenneth pursued; 'the only one who was amenable to
her influence was Captain Gates. I really believe he was quite
willing, only she wouldn't do it for him, when it came to the point.'

'Oh, hush, Kenneth!' I exclaimed. 'Please don't talk so; you know how
I