"Thank you," said Peter, and lit his cigarette.

"And surely, it's a countenance you'll need, to be going on

like that about her money. However--if you can find a ray of

comfort in the information--small good will her future husband

get of it, even if he is a fortunehunter: for she gives the

bulk of it away in charity, and I 'm doubtful if she keeps two

thousand a year for her own spending."

"Really?" said Peter; and for a breathing-space it seemed to

him that there was a ray of comfort in the information.

"Yes, you may rate her at two thousand a year," said Mrs.

O'Donovan Florence. "I suppose you can match that yourself.

So the disparity disappears."

The ray of comfort had flickered for a second, and gone out.

"There are unfortunately other disparities," he remarked

gloomily.

"Put a name on them," said she.

"There's her rank."

His impetuous adviser flung up a hand of scorn.

"Her rank, do you say?" she cried. "To the mischief with her

rank. What's rank to love? A woman is only a woman, whether

she calls herself a duchess or a dairy-maid. A woman with any

spirit would marry a bank manager, if she loved him. A man's a

man. You should n't care that for her rank."

"That" was a snap of Mrs. O' Donovan Florence's fingers.

"I suppose you know," said Peter, "that I am a Protestant."

"Are you--you poor benighted creature? Well, that's easily

remedied. Go and get yourself baptised directly."

She waved her hand towards the town, as if to recommend his

immediate procedure in quest of a baptistery.

Peter laughed again.

"I 'm afraid that's more easily said than done."

"Easy!" she exclaimed. "Why, you've only to stand still and

let yourself be sprinkled. It's the priest who does the work.

Don't tell me," she added, with persuasive inconsequence, "that

you'll allow a little thing like being in love with a woman to

keep you back from professing the true faith."

"Ah, if I were convinced that it is true," he sighed, still

laughing.

"What call have you to doubt it? And anyhow, what does it

matter whether you 're convinced or not? I remember, when I

was a school-girl, I never was myself convinced of the theorems

of Euclid; but I professed them gladly, for the sake of the

marks they brought; and the eternal verities of mathematics

remained unshaken by my scepticism."




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