'

'Do you think father will expect me at the catechizing?'

'I should think he would be glad to see you there.'

'I mustn't stand with the choir, I suppose,' said Cecil, hesitating.

'No; but I think, if I were you, I should be all the more anxious to go.
You're not sulking, I can see, Cecil; so why should you let any one
think you are?'

'I have been, though,' said Cecil rather awkwardly, breaking through his
shyness now that truth seemed to require it.

'Well, Sunday is a good day for turning over a new leaf,' said Mr.
Yorke, with a smile in his eyes that seemed to make no doubt at all of
Cecil's willingness to do it.

'It seemed so hard at first,' he answered, feeling as if he must excuse
himself a little.

'Yes, it _is_ a struggle sometimes to accept one's position; but when
once one has, all the bitterness goes, and one finds oneself not half so
miserable as one expected.'

How true this was, Cecil soon began to find out from his own experience.
It was a struggle to take his place beside the schoolboys, instead of
with the choir, at the catechizing; it cost him something to open his
lips when first his father seemed to address a question to him, but
after the first effort it was not half so hard as he had thought it
would be. He answered thoughtfully and well, and, without putting
himself unduly forward, showed that he was paying attention, and was
really anxious to understand and to learn.

Jessie ran up to him in the churchyard after service.

'Oh, Cecil, I am so glad you came! I thought you would have gone to
Bar-end with Mr. Yorke. Are you coming home now?'

'No, I am going back to his place; he said I might amuse myself with his
books till he came in. I haven't had dinner yet,' and Cecil felt a
momentary importance in saying it.

'How hungry you must be!' rejoined Jessie innocently. 'Are you going,
Cecil? I shall wait for father.'

'Here he is!' said Frances, who was waiting also.

Cecil felt an impulse to rush away instantly, but was glad he had not,
when his father said in a kind voice, 'Are you coming with us, Cecil?'
Though he answered, of course, in the negative, his heart felt lighter
for that kind tone and those few casual words. It was his own sulkiness
which had made great part of his misery before, and he could see that
plainly now that he was beginning to get the better of it.

The rest of the day passed very pleasantly, and Cecil enjoyed his talk
with his good-natured friend ve