"Now I'm going to begin." But she still giggled, which led me to say-- "Never mind the text, as you're laughing.

Begin at once without." "Very well," said Polly.
There was another break down, and then she seemed fairly grave.
"My dear brethren," she began.
"There's only one of us," I ventured to observe.
"Now, Regie, you mustn't speak.

The congregation never speaks to the clergyman when he's preaching." "It's such a small congregation," I pleaded.
"Well, then, I won't preach at all, if you go on like that," said Polly.
But, as I saw that she was getting cross, and as I had no intention of offending her, I apologized, and begged her to proceed with her sermon.

So she began again accordingly-- "My dear brethren." But here she paused; and after a few moments of expectation on my part, and silence on Polly's, she said-- "Is your pew comfortable, Regie dear ?" "Very," said I."How do you like the pulpit ?" "Very much indeed," said Polly; "but I don't think I can preach without a cushion.

Suppose we talk." Thus the sermon was abandoned; and as Polly refused to let me try my luck in the pulpit, she remained at a considerably higher level than I was.