"Well, you are late," Mrs. Englefield said.
"Yes; but we had, oh, such a nice meeting!" Maria answered.
"What was it all about? Now, I hope, we shall get at some light on the subject."
But the light was not in a hurry to come. Anne and Letitia loosened their bonnet strings, and sat down; Maria and Matilda threw off their cloaks and hoods and sought the fire; nobody volunteered to be spokesman for the party.
"What was done, Clarissa?" her mother asked.
"I can hardly tell, mamma. A sort of association formed, for doing parish work."
"I do not think much of associations," Mrs. Candy said. "People can work just as well in private, if they would only be content. Did you join this association?"
"What is parish work, Clarissa?" Matilda asked.
"Why, work in the parish, of course," Mrs. Englefield answered.
"I don't know what the parish is, mamma?"