nd how is poor Anne enduring?"

"Like Christian in Vanity Fair as long as she did endure, for she
retired to the spinsters on the back stairs. I offered to bring her
home, and she accepted with delight, but I dropped her in the
village to bestow her presents. I was determined to come on here;
we go on Monday."

"Shall you be at the Ordination?"

"I trust so. If mamma is pretty well, we shall both go."

"Is Edith going to the ball on Thursday?"

"No, she has given it up. It seems as if we at least ought to
recollect our Ember days, though I am ashamed to think we never did
till this time last year."

"I confess that I never heard of them," said Mrs. Poynsett. "Don't
look shocked, my dear; such things were not taught in my time."

Julius showed her the rubric and the prayer from the book in his
pocket, knowing that the one endeared to her by association was one
of the Prayer-books made easy by omission of all not needed at the
barest Sunday service.

"I see," she said, "it seems quite right. I wish you had told me
before you were ordained, my dear."

"You kept your Ember days for me by instinct, dear mother."

"Don't be too sure, Julius. One learns many things when one is laid
on one's back."

"Think of Herbert now," whispered Jenny. "I am glad he is sheltered
from all this hubbub by being at the palace. I suppose you cannot
go to the Cathedral, Julius?"

"No, Bindon will not come back till his brother's holiday is over,
nor do I even know where to write to him. Oh! here comes Anne. Now
for her impressions."

Anne had brought her little gift for Mrs. Poynsett, and displayed
her presents for Glen Fraser, but as to what she had seen it made
her shudder and say, "You were right, Julius, I did not know people
could go on so! And with all those poor people ill close by. Miss
Slater, who sat on the stairs just below me tying up flowers, is
much grieved about a lad who was at work there till a fortnight ago,
and now is dying of a fever, and harassed by all the rattling of the
carriages."

"What! close by! Nothing infectious, I hope?"

"The doctor called it gastric fever, but no one was to hear of it
lest there should be an alarm; and it was too late to change the
place of the bazaar, though it is so sad to have all that gaiety
close at hand."

If these were the impressions of Anne and Joanna early in the day,
what were they later, when, in those not sustained by excitement,
spirit and energy