m himself."

"Impossible!" he cried.

"I don't know," she said thoughtfully. "He seems to be very frightened.
How about some idea of--the lesser evil? He'd still be shocked--but his
mind might be a little prepared."

"You're altogether too--well, shall I say diplomatic?--for me."

"Come, come," I interposed, "don't do the Church injustice!"

"Let's go out," said Jenny. "Wait a minute--I'll get a hat, and join you
on the terrace. I expect Margaret and Amyas are still there." She walked
out of the room with a light buoyant tread. Alison turned to me with a
bewildered gesture of his arms, yet with a reluctant smile on his face.

"What am I to work on? I don't believe the woman has any conception of
what sin means!"

"She has a considerable conception of the consequences of her actions."

"My dear fellow, as if that was at all the same thing! And what's her
new game? What's she taking me on the terrace for?"

"To have a cup of tea, I suppose. It's nearly half-past five."

"I'll never give her credit for being as simple as that!" He was
disapproving, but good-natured--and altogether occupied with Jenny in
his mind. "I shall never get hold of her--I once thought I should. A
pagan--a mere pagan!" He paused again and added with a reluctant
admiration, "A splendid pagan!"

"There are fifty roads to town--and rather more to heaven," I quoted.

"Who said that?"

"William Mackworth Praed--and you ought to have known it."

"I daresay he knew the roads to town, Austin."

"In both cases the criticism is obvious--much depends on where you start
from."

We were on the terrace now. At the other end of it we saw Margaret and
Lacey walking up and down together. The tea table was deserted, and
probably the tea was cold; we were neither of us thinking about it.
Alison had put on his hat, but now he bared his head again to the
evening breeze.

"Phew, that was a fight!" he said. "And I suppose I'm beaten! But if she
yields to that temper of hers, I'll have no more to do with her."

"But if she doesn't--if she needn't?" I suggested.

He made no answer. I saw his eyes wander to the shapely couple that
walked up and down.

"Why shouldn't the child have her chance?"

"You're tempters all in this house!" he declared.

Margaret and Lacey suddenly came toward us--no, toward Jenny, who had
just come out of the house. She stood there, near the door, quite
quietly--with all her gift of serene immobility brought into play. Ther