"I hope Julius was awake by that time," said Frank.

"Not if we are to have all the new ideas tried on us," said Raymond,
dryly.

"I went to a Congress once!" exclaimed Cecil.

"Indeed!" said her husband, surprised.

"Yes. We thought we ought to encourage them. It was the Congress
of Sunday-school managers for our archdeaconry."

"Did you acquire any new ideas?" asked Frank; while Rosamond's very
eyelashes seemed to curl with suppressed diversion.

"Oh yes. We explained our system of tickets, and the Arch-deacon
said it was a very good one, and ought to be adopted everywhere."

This mode of acquisition of new ideas was quite too much for Julius
and Charlie, who both exploded; but Frank retained composure enough
to ask, "Did you explain it in person?"

"No. We made Mr. Venn."

"The schoolmaster?" said Julius.

"No. He is _our_ clergyman, and he always does as _we_ tell him;
and _so_ Dunstone is quite the model parish of the archdeaconry."

Julius could not help making an odd little bend of the head, half