e background, and you can escape to your room
immediately afterwards. If you refuse, do you think it will bring
credit on your religion? It's the only favour I have ever asked of
you, and it is such a little kindness to do.'

It was hard, in the face of this, to adhere to my resolve. If I had
not come straight from prayer, I don't believe I could have withstood
her.

'I am afraid you will think me very disagreeable,' I said as gently as
I could; 'but I have thought over it, and have made up my mind that it
is best for me not to take part in the tableaux at all. I think with a
little practice Violet will do what you require.'

Miss Willoughby's face was not a pleasant one to see when she saw I
really was in earnest. She dropped my arm at once, and seeing Kenneth
hovering about in the hall she went up to him, 'Take me out into the
balcony; I want a change of atmosphere. Your converted people are all
alike. A nasty, spiteful, ill-natured set of canting hypocrites!'

'It's war to the knife between you two now,' whispered Kenneth to me as
we went in to dinner; 'and I warn you she will give you no quarter.
She is not accustomed to have her plans thwarted. You had better give
in!'

I wondered why Miss Willoughby should have set her heart so upon my
helping them; but that night, when I went to bed, I was enlightened.

Miss Graham tapped at my door, and asked if she might come in for a few
minutes. She very often had a firelight talk with me at bedtime. I
was not feeling inclined for it now, for Miss Willoughby, though
purposely ignoring me in the drawing-room after dinner, had been lavish
with her biting sarcasm on Christianity and some of its followers.

Mr. Stanton had instantly come forward, upon hearing some of her
remarks, and in the discussion that followed she had been decidedly
worsted. Mr. Stanton was not a man to be trifled with, and he told her
some very plain truths. From getting excited, she finally lost her
temper, and the evening had ended unpleasantly for us all. I felt I
had been the innocent cause of it, and was too much perturbed in spirit
to relish a long chat with Miss Graham.

She surprised me by alluding at once to the subject of my thoughts.
'Have you consented to play for them at the tableaux?'

'No,' I said a little wearily as I sat down, and drew a chair forward
for her. 'I have told Miss Willoughby I cannot do it.'

'Is that your final decision? Does she know it is?'

'Yes