'One penny for the poor starving girl,' said I.
'How are you? How are you? How are you?' was gabbled on all sides.
'One penny,—one penny,—Oh, one penny!' softly faltered I.
It was the cooing of a dove amidst the chattering of magpies.
'And who was that stranger in the next pew?' said one lady.
'One penny for the love of——'
'She seemed to think herself too pretty to pray,' said another.
'One penny for the——'
'Perhaps motion does not become her lips,' said another.
'One penny for the love of charity.'