Patrick's. When she knelt at the altar to receive
the bread of life, she became not "indignant" that any humble Bridget
knelt by her side; for, dearer to her the most lowly person who now had
received the waters of Baptism than any lady who rode in her carriage.
Through the priest, it was God's work and marvellous unto all eyes.

CHAPTER XXI.

"THE SPIDER AND THE FLY."

Both Leonora and Estelle wrote to their distant brother of the danger of
his daughter. She was under the sole care of one who was fast becoming
bewitched with the superstitions of Catholicism.

Startled and bewildered, Philip St. Leger wrote at once for his
daughter's removal from the house of Juliet. During the few months
remaining of her school-life, she should divide her time at the houses
of her elder aunts. After that, she should take up her abode with her
uncle, Duncan Lisle, at Kennons. This latter arrangement, which had been
always understood, seemed now to all parties doubly desirable. She would
be removed even from the city where Juliet Temple lived. For, of course,
Juliet, like all converts, would not rest until she had made proselytes
of all who should come within her influence. She had been much attached
to her niece, and that niece was known to have had great affection and
respect for her late uncle, who had been to her a father. Truly, great
danger was to be avoided, and soon as possible. Althea was removed to
her Aunt Leonora's, and forbidden to enter Juliet's house without
permission, and accompanied.

Althea was now nearly sixteen; she had emerged from the somewhat
unpromising age, and had developed into remarkable beauty. Distinguished
as were all the St. Legers for fine personal appearance, none had ever
equalled this child of Della, given to God with that mother's expiring
breath.

With the beauty of her father, she possessed the winning gracefulness of
her mother, with the best mental and moral qualities of both. As a
scholar, she excelled in all her classes; she had a real genius for
music, poetry, and painting. With trifling effort she could execute most
difficult pieces upon piano and harp.

"You have the hand of a master," spake Signor Lanza proudly, to this his
favorite pupil.

"Il improvisatrice," was she styled by her admiring associates, whom she
amused by the hour with her extemporary effusions of rhyme.

From all, you would have taken her to be from that land

"Where the poet's lip and painter's hand