igious enthusiasm, as
commonly understood, by aesthetic. The loveliness of the Christian
legend--from that he started. He dealt with the New Testament very much
as he had formerly dealt with the Elizabethan poets. He would have no
appeal to the vulgar by aggressive rationalists. Let rationalism filter
down in the course of time; the vulgar were not prepared for it as yet.
It was bad that they should be superstitious, but worse, far worse,
that they should be brutally irreverent, and brutal irreverence
inevitably came of atheism preached at the street corner. The men who
preached it were themselves the very last to guide human souls; they
were of coarsest fibre, without a note of music in them, fit only for
the world's grosser purposes. And they presumed to attack the ministry
of Christ! It was good, all that he had to say on that point, the
better that it made two or three of his hearers feel a little sore and
indignant. Yet, as a whole, the lecture appealed to but one of the
audience. Gilbert Grail heard it with emotion, and carried it away in
his heart. To the others it was little more than the sounding of brass
and the tinkling of cymbals.

To-night--Friday--he was going to Grail's. Of course no ceremonious
preparation was necessary, yet he wasted a couple of hours previous to
his time for setting forth. He could not apply himself to anything; he
paced his room. Indeed, he had paced his room much of late. Week by
week he seemed to have grown more unsettled in mind. He had said to
himself that all would be well when he had seen Annabel. He had seen
her, and his trouble was graver than before.

At the hour when Egremont set out for Lambeth Lydia was busy dressing
her sister's hair. Perhaps such a thing had never happened before, as
that Thyrza's hair should have needed doing twice in one day. She had
begged it this evening.

'You won't mind, Lyddy? I feel it's rough, and I think I ought to look
nice--don't you?'

'You're a vain little thing!'

'I don't think I am, Lyddy. It's only natural.'

A moment or two, and Thyrza said:

'Lyddy, I think you ought to come down as well.'

'I've told you that I shan't, so do have done!'

'Well, dear, it's only because I want you to see Mr. Egremont.'

'I've seen him, and that's enough. If you're going to be a lady and
make friends with grand people, that's no reason why I should.'

'You'll have to some day.'

'I don't think I shall,' said Lydia, as she began the braidi