This again threw the company into disarray, and Mrs.
Ballinger, with an impatient sigh, rejoined: "Why—there
is a book—naturally. . . ."
"Then why did Miss Glyde call it a religion?"
Laura Glyde started up. "A religion? I never—"
"Yes, you did," Miss Van Vluyck insisted; "you spoke of
rites; and Mrs. Plinth said it was a custom."
Miss Glyde was evidently making a desperate effort to
recall her statement; but accuracy of detail was not her
strongest point. At length she began in a deep murmur:
"Surely they used to do something of the kind at the Ele-
usinian mysteries—"
"Oh—" said Miss Van Vluyck, on the verge of disapproval;
and Mrs. Plinth protested: "I understood there was to be
no indelicacy!"
Mrs. Ballinger could not control her irritation. "Really, it
is too bad that we should not be able to talk the matter
over quietly among ourselves. Personally, I think that if
one goes into Xingu at all—"
"Oh, so do I!" cried Miss Glyde.
"And I don't see how one can avoid doing so, if one
wishes to keep up with the Thought of the Day—"
Mrs. Leveret uttered an exclamation of relief. "There—
that's it!" she interposed.
What's it?" the President took her up.
"Why—it's a—a Thought: I mean a philosophy."
HYLAND
