'But don't you have prayers in the morning?' said Gerald,
'No,' answered Caroline gravely.
'Why not,' the little boy was beginning but Marian pressed his hand to check him, shocked herself, and sorry for Caroline's sake that the question had been asked.
Caroline spoke rather hurriedly, 'I wish we could, but you see papa is out so often, and there are so many people staying here sometimes: and in London, papa is so late at the House--it is very unlucky, but it would not do, it is all so irregular.'
'What?' said Clara, hopping down stairs behind them. 'O, about prayers! We have not had any in the school room since Miss Cameron's time.'
'Miss Cameron used to read a chapter and pray with us afterwards,' said Caroline; 'but when she was gone, mamma said she did not like the book she used.'
'Besides, it was three quarters out of her own head, and that wasn't fair, for she used to go on such a monstrous time,' said Clara.
'Hush, Clara,' said her sister, 'and mamma has never found a book she does think quite fit.'
'There's the Prayer Book,' said Gerald.
'O that is only for Church,' said Clara, opening the schoolroom door; 'O she is not here! Later than ever. Well, Marian, what do you think of her?'
'Of whom?' asked Marian.
'Of poor unfortunate faithful Morley,' said Clara.
'You call her so after Queen Anne?'
'Yes,' said Caroline, 'and you will see how well the name suits her when you are fully initiated.'
'But does she like it?'
'Like it?' and Clara fell into a violent fit of laughing, calling out to Lionel, who just then came in, 'Here is Marian asking if we call Miss Morley 'poor unfortunate' whenever we speak to her.'
'She is coming,' said Lionel, and Clara sunk her boisterous laughter into a titter, evident enough to occasion Miss Morley to ask what made them so merry, but the only answer she received was from Lionel, 'Something funny,' and then both he and Clara burst out again into laughter, his open, and hers smothered.
Marian looked amazed. 'Ah! you are not used to such ways,' said the governess; 'Clara and Lionel are sometimes sad creatures.'
Breakfast took a very long time, and before it was quite over, Mrs. Lyddell came in, spoke in her rapid, good-natured tone to Marian and Gerald, and remarked rather sharply to Miss Morley that she thought they grew later and later every Sunday. Nevertheless, no one went on at all the faster after she was gone. Miss Morley continued her talk with Caroline and Clara about some young friends of theirs in London, and Lionel and Johnny went on playing tricks with their bread and butter, accompanied by a sort of secret teasing of Clara. Nothing brought them absolutely to a conclusion till one of the servants appeared in order to take away the things, and unceremoniously bore away John's last piece of bread and cup of tea.
Johnny looked up at the man and made a face at him; Miss Morley shook her head, and Caroline said, 'How can you be so naughty, Johnny? it serves you quite right, and I only wish it happened every morning.'
'Come, Gerald, and see the ponies,' said Lionel.
'My dears,' said Miss Morley, 'you know your mamma never likes you to go out before Church especially to the stables; you only get hot, and you make us late with waiting for you.'
