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146 so; I don't dislike that cast of countenance: but the only thing I particularly noticed about him was his style of reading, which appeared, to me, good—infinitely better, at least, than Mr. Hatfield's. He read the lessons as if he were bent on giving full effect to every passage: it seemed as if the most careless person could not have helped attending, nor the most ignorant have failed to understand; and the prayers, he read as if he were not reading at all, but praying, earnestly and sincerely from his own heart."

"Oh, yes! that's all he is good for: he can plod through the service well enough; but he has not a single idea beyond it."

"How do you know?"

"Oh! I know perfectly well; I'm an excellent judge in such matters. Did you see how he went out of church? stumping along, as if there was nobody there but himself—never looking to the right hand or the left, and evidently thinking of nothing but just getting out of the church, and, perhaps, home to his dinner—his great stupid head could contain no other idea."

"I suppose you would have had him cast a glance into the squire's pew," said I, laughing at the vehemence of her hostility.