ht, Mrs. Boyce; and be sure you don't let Mr. Swanton be long
to-morrow." To this parting shot Mrs. Boyce made no rejoinder; but she
hurried out of the church somewhat quicker for it, and closed the
door after her with something of a slam.

Of all persons clergymen are the most irreverent in the handling of
things supposed to be sacred, and next to them clergyman's wives, and
after them those other ladies, old or young, who take upon themselves
semi-clerical duties. And it is natural that it should be so; for is
it not said that familiarity does breed contempt? When a parson takes
his lay friend over his church on a week day, how much less of the
spirit of genuflexion and head-uncovering the clergyman will display
to the layman! The parson pulls about the woodwork and knocks about
the stonework, as though it were mere wood and stone; and talks
aloud in the aisle, and treats even the reading-desk as a common
thing; whereas the visitor whispers gently, and carries himself as
though even in looking at a church he was bound to regard himself as
performing some service that was half divine. Now Lily Dale and Grace
Crawley were both accustomed to churches, and had been so long at
work in this church for the last two days, that the building had lost
to them much of its sacredness, and they were almost as irreverent as
though they were two curates.

"I am so glad she has gone," said Lily. "We shall have to stop here
for the next hour, as Gregory won't know what to take away and what
to leave. I was so afraid she was going to stop and see us off the
premises."

"I don't know why you should dislike her."

"I don't dislike her. I like her very well," said Lily Dale. "But
don't you feel that there are people whom one knows very intimately,
who are really friends,--for whom if they were dying one would
grieve, whom if they were in misfortune one would go far to help, but
with whom for all that one can have no sympathy. And yet they are
so near to one that they know all the events of one's life, and are
justified by unquestioned friendship in talking about things which
should never be mentioned except where sympathy exists."

"Yes; I understand that."

"Everybody understands it who has been unhappy. That woman sometimes
says things to me that make me wish,--wish that they'd make him
bishop of Patagonia. And yet she does it all in friendship, and mamma
says that she is quite right."

"I liked her for standing up for her husba