moral is so awfully good,' urged Nelly; 'do be obliging just this
once, Hilda.'

'Of course she is going to do it,' said Miss Willoughby.

'I will give you an answer to-morrow,' I said slowly, and taking up my
hat and cloak I left the room.

It was hard sometimes to keep clear of the gaiety around me, and this
was one of the cases in which I much wished for advice. I felt
inclined to appeal to Mr. Stanton; he had stood a little apart from the
others talking to General Forsyth, but I felt sure that he had been
within earshot of the whole conversation. Yet his words that afternoon
came back to me. I must get my orders from my Master, and not from
him. And, as so often before, I went down on my knees in my room, and
with my Bible before me sought the advice I needed.

I felt, when I at length rose, that I was best out of it altogether. I
knew my wish to oblige them and show them that I had no ill-feeling
about it might land me into further difficulties. It would be the thin
end of the wedge. And though I dreaded the scoffing remarks of Miss
Willoughby, and knew she would be really put out by my refusal, my mind
was quite made up, and meeting her on the stairs going down to dinner
two hours later, I told her I could not do it.

She only laughed at me. 'Nonsense, child! you will think better of it;
don't be in such a hurry to refuse.' Then, drawing my arm within hers,
she went on in a coaxing tone as we descended the stairs together: 'I
have taken a liking to you, Hilda, for I feel you have a true ring
about you. I am afraid I am a dreadful tease, but I tell you honestly
I admire and respect your religious views. Much better be one thing or
the other--and there is no uncertain sound about you. But don't you
think it a pity in the present instance if, in your mistaken zeal, you
would lose the opportunity of rendering us a little service, and so
commending your religion practically to us? I was talking to a
gentleman the other day who said, "What I object to so much in these
so-called good people is their extreme selfishness and indifference to
the likes and dislikes of those with whom they live; good nature and
the ordinary common little courtesies of life seem altogether lacking
in their composition." This isn't much we are asking of you, and I
don't think you will refuse. Five minutes only we want from you. You
needn't be present at the tableaux at all; people will think it is some
hired musician in th