66 A VISION.

door was met by a verger in a flowing black gown,
ornamented with velvet tags: his grey hair ar-
ranged in curls like a wig round his head, and a
staff of office in his hand.

_ There are times when the brain can take in
strongly but one idea at once, and such was my
case now. I was just conscious of a feeling of
surprise at sight of the old-fashioned church-
servitor ; but the sensation, was hazy, and I paid
no attention to it. The man’s keen investigating
look, too, as I encountered him, merely caused me
to follow him obediently when he marshalled me
to the strangers’ quarter in the church: which he
did, as soon as he had discovered by his scrutiny
that I did not belong to the usual congregation.

It was not till I had risen from my knees, after
the customary prayer, that I discovered I had
made two mistakes. First, this was not the church
I had meant to come to. Secondly, so far from
being too late, I was evidently much too early ;
very few people having as yet taken their seats,
and the. monotonous chiming of the bell still con-
 tinuing.