"I've got a novel of Miss Braddon's in my pocket.

I thought it might come in handy.

That'll help us through till feed time." "You are all familiar with the name, of course," pursued Mrs.Upjohn, smiling graciously around the dismayed circle of her guests.

"The book has been in the library this long time past, and observing with regret that only its first fifty pages had been cut, I caught at this invaluable opportunity to make you further acquainted with it." Mr.Webb now came forward, a thick, green-bound volume in his hand, and a look on his face as if he were about to open the proceedings with a prayer, but Mrs.Upjohn held up her hand.
"One moment, please, before we begin.

We ladies are so unaccustomed to sitting with idle hands, even when listening to so absorbing a theme as the virtues of this truly excellent Christian wife and mother, that I thought it would be a kindness to ourselves to provide some simple work which should occupy our fingers and at the same time be in itself a worthy object of industry.