"The pulpit," she continued, "was on the top of the cupboard under the cuckoo-clock, and consisted of a chair and a cushion. There were prayer-books in abundance; of which neither of them, I am happy to say, made other than a pretended use for reference. Charles, indeed, who was preaching when I entered, _can't_ read; but both have far too much reverence to use sacred words in their games, as the sermons themselves will instance. I took down almost every word they said, frequent embarrassments and interruptions enabling me to do so. Ernest was acting as clerk, and occasionally prompted the speaker when his eloquence failed him, or reproved members of the congregation, which consisted of the two nurses and the other children, who were inattentive. Charles spoke with a good deal of _unction_, and had quite a professional air when he looked down on the big open book, referred to one or other of the smaller ones at his side, or directed looks of reprehension at this or that hearer. You would have thought he had cultivated the imitation of popular preachers, whereas he tells me he has been to church only three times. I am sorry I cannot give the opening remarks, for I lost them by being late; but what I did hear was this." She then read from her paper as follows, and lent it me afterwards. I merely copy it. "Once" (_Charles was proceeding when Marion entered_), "there lived an aged man, and another who was a _very_ aged man; and the very aged man was going to die, and every one but the aged man thought the other, the _very_ aged man, wouldn't die. I do this to _explain_ it to you. He, the man who was _really_ going to die, was--I will look in the dictionary" (_He looks in the book, and gives out with much confidence_), "was two thousand and eighty-eight years old. Well, the other man was--well, then, the other man 'at knew he was going to die, was about four thousand and two; not nearly so old, you see." (_Here Charles whispers with Ernest, and then announces very loud_),--"This is out of St. James. The _very_ aged man had a wife and no children; and the other had no wife, but a _great many_ children. The fact was--_this_ was how it was--the wife _died_, and so _he_ had the children. Well, the man I spoke of first, well, he died in the middle of the night." (_A look as much as to say, "There! what do you think of that?_"); "an' nobody but the aged man knew he was going to die. Well, in the morning, when his wife got up, she spoke to him, and he was dead!" (_A pause._) "Perfectly, sure enough--_dead_!" (_Then, with a change of voice and manner_), "He wasn't really dead, because you know" (_abruptly and nervously_)--"Shut the door!--you know where he went, because in the morning next day" (_He pauses and looks round. Ernest, out of a book, prompts_--"The angels take him away"), "came the angels to take him away, up to where you know." (_All solemn. He resumes quickly, with a change of manner_), "They, all the rest, died of grief.