"That time will surely come—or so I think," remarked her father, "though perhaps not in our day. But these young ones may live to see it." "I fear, indeed, it will not be in our day," said Master Hall. "There are those about His Majesty that would willingly close, if not burn, every English Bible in the land." "But not the Archbishop of Canterbury," said Master Davis. "No; His Grace would, like my wife, put it into the hands of all, gentle or simple." The talk then drifted away to other matters, and when we rose from table, Master Davis proposed we should seek the summer-house in the garden. "Do so, and I will send you wine and sweetmeats," said Mistress Davis. "Then you can talk of your business matters, and we women will sit under the great apple tree, sew our seams, and talk of affairs level with our comprehension." Whereat the men laughed, though I did not see the joke. Mistress Davis asked me to help her in the ordering of the banquet, * and I was glad to do so. (I never do feel thoroughly at home in any house till I get into the pantry and kitchen.) Margaret was busy with the little girls, and I saw them showing her their work, and the clothes they had been making for their dolls. * A banquet was what we should now call a dessert of fruits and sweetmeats piled upon wooden trays and trimmed with flowers. It was often set before callers. "Yes, Joan and Nelly are quite happy now they can have Sister Margaret all to themselves," said Dame Davis. "You would never guess for as simple as she sits there, that Margaret can read the New Testament in the Greek tongue, wherein it was written, and correct the press for her husband's edition of Plato his Dialogues. Now, would you?" "I think I could believe any thing that was good of Mistress Hall," I answered warmly. "And you may well and safely do so," said her step-mother. "Yes, that is very pretty," as I handed her a dish of fruit I had arranged. "Believe me, you cannot have a better or safer friend than Margaret. With all her learning, she is simple as a child and defers to me as though I were her own mother. There, I think that will do nicely. And now we will take our own work and sit down under the tree, and you will give us the pleasure of hearing you sing, will you not? I see you have brought your lute with you." I was only too glad to do aught which could please my kind hostess. I do not know when I ever spent a pleasanter afternoon than that. I sang all the songs I knew—which were not many—and then Margaret told us some tales she had read, and by degrees, I know not how, she gently led us to serious talk upon religion and kindred topics. "Oh, how I do wish you knew our dear reverend mother, Mistress Hall!" I could not help saying at last; whereat she smiled and said: "Why, do you think we should agree?" "Yes, indeed, you would," I answered. "You have made me think of her so many times this afternoon."