“Yes,” he said inquiringly, and with the most quiet and courteous air; “would you object to mentioning some of those things?”

“Well, as an instance, it seemed to me very queer indeed to hear her and other young ladies speaking in your teachers’ prayer-meeting.  I never heard of such a thing, at least not among cultivated people.”

“And you thought it improper?”

“Almost—­yes, quite—­perhaps.  At least I should never do it.”

“Were you at Mrs. Burton’s on the evening in which our society met?”

This, to Ester’s surprise, was her companion’s next very-wide-of-the-mark question.  She opened her eyes inquiringly; then concluding that he was absent-minded, or else had no reply to make, and was weary of the subject, answered simply and briefly in the affirmative.

“I was detained that night.  Were there many out?”

“Quite a full society Abbie said.  The rooms were almost crowded.”

“Pleasant?”

“Oh very.  I hardly wished to go as they were strangers to me; but I was very happily disappointed, and enjoyed the evening exceedingly.”

“Were there reports?”

“Very full ones, and Mrs. Burton was particularly interesting.  She had forgotten her notes, but gave her reports from memory very beautifully.”

“Ah, I am sorry for that.  It must have destroyed the pleasure of the evening for you.”

“I don’t understand, Mr. Foster.”

“Why you remarked that you considered it improper for ladies to take part in such matters:  and of course what is an impropriety you can not have enjoyed.”

“Oh that is a very different matter.  It was not a prayer-meeting.”

“I beg pardon.  I did not understand.  It is only at prayer-meetings that it is improper for ladies to speak.  May I ask why?”

Ester was growing vexed.  “Mr. Foster,” she said sharply, “you know that it is quite another thing.  There are gentlemen enough present, or ought to be, to do the talking in a prayer-meeting.”

“There is generally a large proportion of gentlemen at the society.  I presume there were those present capable of giving Mrs. Burton’s report.”

“Well I consider a society a very different thing from a gathering in a church.”

“Ah, then it’s the church that is at fault.  If that is the case, I should propose holding prayer meetings in private parlors.  Would that obviate your difficulty?”

“No,” said Ester sharply, “not if there were gentlemen present.  It is their business to conduct a religious meeting.”

“Then, after all, it is religion that is at the foundation of this trouble.  Pray, Miss Ester, was Mrs. Burton’s report irreligious?”

“Mr. Foster,” said Ester, with flushing cheeks, and in a whirl of vexation, “don’t you understand me?”