Mr. St. John did little to excite demonstrations of this kind; but the very severity with which he held himself in reserve seemed rather to increase a kind of sacred prestige which hung around him, making of him a sort of churchly Grand Llama. When, therefore, he brought out his illuminated card, on which were inscribed in Anglo Saxon characters,
"The Word was made flesh
And dwelt among us,"
there was a loud acclaim of "How lovely! how sweet!" with groans of intense admiration from Miss Augusta Gusher and Miss Sophronia Vapors, which was echoed in "ohs!" and "ahs!" from an impressible group of girls on the right and left.
Angelique stood quietly gazing on it, with a wreath of ground-pine dangling from her hand, but she said nothing.
Mr. St. John at last said, "And what do you think, Miss Van Arsdel?"
"I think the colors are pretty," Angie said, hesitating, "but"—
"But what?" said Mr. St. John, quickly.
"Well, I don't know what it means—I don't understand it."
Mr. St. John immediately read the inscription in concert with Miss Gusher, who was a very mediæval young lady and quite up to reading Gothic, or Anglo Saxon, or Latin, or any Churchly tongue.
"Oh!" was all the answer Angie made; and then, seeing something more was expected, she added again, "I think the effect of the lettering very pretty," and turned away, and busied herself with a cross of ground-pine that she was making in a retired corner.