‘I do not think that,’ said Grace.

‘He has been grumbling all the time,’ said Lily, ’and swears he never will have the laurels robbed again.  Five or six years ago he used to declare that death would certainly save him from the pain of such another desecration before next Christmas; but he has given up that foolish notion now, and talks as though he meant to protect the Allington shrubs at any rate to the end of this century.’

‘I am sure we gave our share from the parsonage,’ said Mrs Boyce, who never understood a joke.

‘All the best came from the parsonage, as of course they ought,’ said Lily.  ’But Hopkins had to make up the deficiency.  And as my uncle told him to take the haycart for them instead of the hand-barrow, he is broken-hearted.’

‘I am sure he was very good-natured,’ said Grace.

’Nevertheless he is broken-hearted; and I am very good-natured too, and I am broken-backed.  Who is going to preach tomorrow morning, Mrs Boyce?’

‘Mr Swanton will preach in the morning.’

’Tell him not to be too long because of the children’s pudding.  Tell Mr Boyce if he is long, we won’t any of us come next Sunday.’

’My dear, how can you say such wicked things!  I shall not tell him anything of the kind.’

’That’s not wicked, Mrs Boyce.  If I were to say I had eaten so much lunch that I didn’t want any dinner, you’d understand that.  If Mr Swanton will preach for three-quarters of an hour—­’

‘He only preached for three-quarters of an hour once, Lily.’

’He has been over the half-hour every Sunday since he has been here.  His average is over forty minutes, and I say it’s a shame.’

‘It is not a shame at all, Lily,’ said Mrs Boyce, becoming very serious.

’Look at my uncle; he doesn’t like to go to sleep, and he has to suffer a purgatory in keeping himself awake.’

’If your uncle is heavy now, how can Mr Swanton help it?  If Mr Dale’s mind were on the subject he would not sleep.’

’Come, Mrs Boyce; there’s somebody else asleep sometimes besides my uncle.  When Mr Boyce puts up his finger and just touches his nose, I know as well as possible why he does it.’

’Lily Dale, you have no business to say so.  It is not true.  I don’t know how you can bring yourself to talk in that way of your own clergyman.  If I were to tell your mamma, she would be shocked.’

’You won’t be so ill-natured, Mrs Boyce—­after all that I’ve done for the church.’

’If you think more about the clergymen, Lily, and less about the church,’ said Mrs Boyce very sententiously, ’more about the matter and less about the manner, more of the reality and less of the form, I think you would find that your religion would go further with you.  Miss Crawley is the daughter of a clergyman, and I am sure she will agree with me.’

‘If she agrees with anybody in scolding me I’ll quarrel with her.’