"You must let Maria take her own manner," said their mother.
"Well, now, I'll tell you all about it," said Maria. "There weren't a great many people there, to begin with."
"Of course not! such a night."
"So there were plenty of empty benches, and it didn't look like a meeting at all, at first; and I wondered if it would come to anything; but then Mr. Richmond came in, and I saw he meant something."
"Mr. Richmond always does mean something," interrupted Matilda.
"You hush, Tilly! Well, there were prayers first, of course; and then Mr. Richmond stood up in the aisle, and said he wanted to know how many of us all there were willing to be really good."
"The servants of Christ, he said," Matilda explained.
"Yes, the servants of Christ, of course; and he said he didn't know any better way to get at it than that we should all stand up."
A burst of laughter from all Maria's audience a little confused her. Only Matilda looked gravely at her sister, as if she were making bad work of it. Maria coloured, stammered, and began again.
"You all know what I mean! You know what I mean, mamma? Mr. Richmond did not say that we should all stand up."