nt of time he occupied in tapping the
lid and the invisibility of the pinches he had ever been seen to take
were alike marvels in the district.

"I have no religious prejudices," said Miss Irma to the Doctor, in a
calm, well-bred manner which must have secretly amused that
distinguished theologian, fresh from editing the works of Manton.

"I did not speak of prejudices, dear young lady" (he spoke gently, yet
with the thrill in his voice which showed how deeply he was moved), "but
of belief, of religion, of principles of thought and action."

Miss Irma opened her eyes very wide. The sound of the Doctor's words
came to her ears like the accents of an unknown tongue.

"The sisters were very good people," she said at last; "they give
themselves a great deal of trouble----"

"What kind of trouble?" said the Doctor.

"Kneeling and scrubbing floors for one thing," said Miss Irma; "getting
up at all hours, doing good works, praying, and burning candles to the
Virgin."

"I should advise you," said the Doctor, with his most gentle accent, "to
say as little as possible about that part of your experience here in
Eden Valley."

Miss Irma looked exceedingly surprised.

"I thought I told you they were exceedingly good people. They were very
kind to me, though they looked on me as a lost heretic. I am sure they
said prayers for me many times a day!"

The Doctor looked more hopeful. He was thinking that after all he might
make something of his strange parishioner, when the young lady recalled
him by a repetition of her former declaration, "As I said, I have no
religious prejudices!"

"No," said the Doctor a little sharply--for him, "but still each one of
us ought to be fully persuaded in his own mind."

"And that means," Miss Irma answered, quick as a flash, "that most of us
are fully persuaded according to our father and mother's mind, and the
way they have brought us up. But then, you see, I never _was_ brought
up. I know very well that my family were Presbyterians. Once I read
about their sufferings in two great volumes by a Mr. Wodrow, or some
such name. But then my grandfather lost most of his estates fighting for
the King----"

"For the Popish Pretender," said the Doctor, who could speak no smooth
things when it was a matter of the Revolution Settlement and the
government of King George.

"For the man he believed to be king, while others stayed snugly at
home," persisted Miss Irma. "Then my mother was a Catholic,