aver hat. It swept,
Miriam found the word during the Psalms, back over her hair. Miriam
glancing at her again and again felt that she would like to be near her,
watch her and touch her and find out the secret of her effect. But not
talk to her, never talk to her.

She, too, sad and alone though Miriam knew her to be, would have her way
of smiling and taking things for granted. The sermon came. Miriam sat,
chafing, through it. One angry glance towards the pulpit had shown her
a pale, black-moustached face. She checked her thoughts. She felt
they would be too savage; would rend her unendurably. She tried not to
listen. She felt the preacher was dealing out "pastoral platitudes."
She tried to give her mind elsewhere; but the sound of the voice,
unconvinced and unconvincing threatened her again and again with a tide
of furious resentment. She fidgeted and felt for thoughts and tried
to compose her face to a semblance of serenity. It would not do to sit
scowling here amongst her pupils with Fraulein Pfaff's eye commanding
her profile from the end of the pew just behind.... The air was gassy
and close, her feet were cold. The gentle figure across the aisle
was sitting very still, with folded hands and grave eyes fixed in the
direction of the pulpit. Of course. Miriam had known it. She would
"think over" the sermon afterwards.... The voice in the pulpit had
dropped. Miriam glanced up. The figure faced about and intoned rapidly,
the congregation rose for a moment rustling, and rustling subsided
again. A hymn was given out. They rose again and sang. It was "Lead,
Kindly Light." Chilly and feverish and weary Miriam listened ... "the
encircling glooo--om"... Cardinal Newman coming back from Italy in a
ship... in the end he had gone over to Rome... high altars... candles...
incense... safety and warmth.

From far away a radiance seemed to approach and to send out a breath
that touched and stirred the stuffy air... the imploring voices sang
on... poor cold English things... Miriam suddenly became aware of Emma
Bergmann standing at her side with open hymn-book shaking with laughter.
She glanced sternly at her, mastering a sympathetic convulsion.

2

Emma looked so sweet standing there shaking and suffused. Her blue eyes
were full of tears. Miriam wanted to giggle too. She longed to know what
had amused her... just the fact of their all standing suddenly there
together. She dared not join her... no more giggling as she and H