asted long, everybody was called into another room to supper.
There the boys were left somewhat to themselves at one end of the
table, and the half dozen others stood or sat in the warm fireplace
corner at the other. Mr. Linden indeed, and Squire Stoutenburgh, were
both "boys" very often; but their returns to the ladies were frequent
and prolonged. Faith was enthroned in a great chair, and there petted
by Mrs. Stoutenburgh, while everybody brought her things by turns--a
privilege highly prized by some of the boys. Neither could Miss Essie
complain of want of attention, while Mrs. Stoutenburgh and Mr. Linden
took laughing care of each other between whiles.

"Miss Essie," he said as he brought her a cup of coffee, "where are you
in the pursuit of knowledge?"

Miss Essie laughed; yet not a triumphant laugh, nor even a satisfied
one; it might be considered doubtful.

"I think," she said, "you are one of a sort I don't much understand,
Mr. Linden--perhaps because I don't know them much. Aren't you one of
what I may call the _good_ sort?"

Faith's laugh, which was indeed very low but unavoidable, was the first
testimony.

"I hope you may--" said Mr. Linden,--"the words sound pleasant. I am
not quite sure what they mean."

"Ah! There you are again!" said Miss Essie. "As difficult to catch at
other things as at blind man's buff. Well I'll be frank with you, for I
don't mean to offend you. I mean, the sort of people who are called
'rigidly righteous'--people who think it incumbent on them to be better
than their neighbours."

"O no--" said Mr. Linden,--"I quite disclaim that. I only think it
incumbent on me to be better than myself."

"Yes, but you are one of the people I mean--aren't you?"

"Not according to that term, Miss Essie. May I ask what you mean by the
other?"

"Rigidly righteous?"

"Yes."

"Why I told you--people that pretend to be better than people in
general. People in general, you know, get on without pretending much to
be good at all: and of course it's disagreeable to be brought short up
at every turn with 'you ought not,' and 'you ought;' and whether it is
said or acted don't make much difference. Now here's this child, a
little while ago, thought she mustn't say anything was good but a
minister.

"Do you mean Christians?" said Mr. Linden.

"Well--" said Miss Essie, "I hope we're all _Christians_--aren't we?
We're not heathens."

"I mean the followers of Christ. Is that what you meant? I do