You have preached a more practical sermon than I, my dear." Then, seeing her confusion at being thus singled out and her embarrassment at having, as she thought, been too forward in speaking out impulsively on the spur of the moment, the vicar created a diversion.

"And now, young ladies," he said, "as we are going to be merry, what shall we play at ?" "Oh, puss in the corner!" cried Seraphine Dasher.

"That will be delightful!" "With all my heart; puss in the corner be it," said the vicar, who could be a boy again on fitting occasions, and play with the best of us.
"Come, Mawley," he added, "come and exert yourself; and help to pull these forms out of the way," setting to work vigorously at the same time, himself.
In another minute or two we were in the middle of a wild romp, wherein little Miss Pimpernell and the vicar were the most active participants-- they showing themselves to be quite as active as the younger hands; while Miss Spight and Lady Dasher were the only idle spectators.

Min at first did not join in, as she was not accustomed to the ways of us old habitues, but she presently participated, being soon as gay and noisy as any.

What fun we had in blindfolding Horner, and manoeuvring so that he should rush into the arms of Miss Spight! What a shout of laughter there was when he exclaimed, clasping her the while, "Bai-ey Je-ove! Yaas, I've cawght you at lawst!" The look of pious horror which settled on the face of the elderly maiden was a study.
Thus our working day ended; and it became time to separate and go home.
I had the further happiness of seeing Min to her door, both of us living in the same direction.
It was the same on the morrow, and on the morrow after that, for a whole week.
Of course, we did not talk "Shakspeare and the musical glasses" always.
Our discourse was generally composed of much lighter elements, especially when Mr Mawley and I did not come in contact--argument being then, naturally, as a dead letter.