become of the
"firstly" to "fifthly" inclusive. He sat there wondering until the
people round him began to get up and move away, whereupon it struck him
swiftly and suddenly that be had been asleep, and had thereby escaped the
main body of the discourse.

What on earth was he to do? He was representing one of the leading
religious papers. A full report of the sermon was wanted that very
night. Seizing the robe of a passing wandsman, he tremulously inquired
if the Bishop had yet left the Cathedral. The wandsman answered that he
had not, but that he was just on the point of doing so.

"I must see him before he goes!" exclaimed the reporter, excitedly.

"You can't," replied the wandsman. The journalist grew frantic.

"Tell him," he cried, "a penitent sinner desires to speak with him about
the sermon he has just delivered. To-morrow it will be too late."

The wandsman was touched; so was the Bishop. He said he would see the
poor fellow.

As soon as the door was shut the man, with tears in his eyes, told the
Bishop the truth--leaving out the gin. He said that he was a poor man,
and not in good health, that he had been up half the night before, and
had walked all the way from Bow that evening. He dwelt on the disastrous
results to himself and his family should he fail to obtain a report of
the sermon. The Bishop felt sorry for the man. Also, he was anxious
that his sermon should be reported.

"Well, I trust it will be a warning to you against going to sleep in
church," he said, with an indulgent smile. "Luckily, I have brought my
notes with me, and if you will promise to be very careful of them, and to
bring them back to me the first thing in the morning, I will lend them to
you."

With this, the Bishop opened and handed to the man a neat little black
leather bag, inside which lay a neat little roll of manuscript.

"Better take the bag to keep it in," added the Bishop. "Be sure and let
me have them both back early to-morrow."

The reporter, when he examined the contents of the bag under a lamp in
the Cathedral vestibule, could hardly believe his good fortune. The
careful Bishop's notes were so full and clear that for all practical
purposes they were equal to a report. His work was already done. He
felt so pleased with himself that he determined to treat himself to
another "two" of gin, and, with this intent, made his way across to the
little "public" before-mentioned.

"It's really excellent gin