where they sing a solo anthem at nearly every Sunday morning service; and
having had various disappointments at the hands of vocal soloists from
the Opera, whose 'professional engagements suddenly intervened,' he
conceived the audacious idea of 'intervening' a woman to do their duty
permanently. So this is my position in the church at which John Storm
used to be curate, and once a week I pipe that his old enemy the canon
may play. But as that good man is of St. Paul's opinion about women
holding their tongues in the synagogue, and is blest with just enough ear
to know a contralto from a corn-crake, I have to be hidden away behind a
screen in order that his reverence may have all the fun to himself of
believing me to be a boy.

"So you see, my dearies, you needn't be anxious about me, 'at all at
all', seeing that I am living in this atmosphere of art and the odour of
sanctity, and that I have kept only one tiny little thing back, and I am
going to tell you that now. You were afraid that I might go too often to
the theatre, Aunt Anna. Never mind, auntie, I shall not be going so very
often now, and in proof thereof permit me to introduce myself in my
future style and character--Miss Glory Quayle, the eminent social
entertainer! You don't know what that is, dear people? It is quite simple
and innocent, nevertheless. I am to go to the houses of smart people when
they give their grand parties and sing and recite, and so forth. Nothing
wrong, you see--only what I used to do at Glenfaba.

"You must know that, just as in the country the men go to the smithy when
they have nothing more pressing on hand than to settle the affairs of the
universe, and the women to the mangle-house when they have to mangle
other things besides clothes, so in the towns the poor rich people have
their own particular diversion, which they call their 'At Homes.' Mr.
Drake used to tell me they were terrible Tower-of-Babel concerns, at
which everybody talked at once, and all the tongues in the place went
'click-clack, world without end.' But they must be perfectly charming for
all that; and when I think of the dresses and the diamonds and the titles
as long as your breath--oh, dear! oh, dear!

"I shall see it all soon, I suppose, for to supply the place of the
hammer and the anvil the smart folks always add musical accompaniment to
the confusion of tongues, and Mr. Koenig, who has a choral company, goes
to the cream of the cream of such gatherings, and s