so," said she, drawing a deep sigh, "you really can tell me nothing
about these Bramleighs? And all this time I have been reckoning on your
coming to hear everything, and to know about the will. Up to this hour,
I am totally ignorant as to how I am left. Is n't that very dreadful?"

"It is very distressing indeed, madam."

"The Colonel always said he 'd insert a clause or a something or other
against my marrying again. Can you imagine anything so ungenerous? It's
unchristian, actually unchristian--isn't it?"

A slight gesture seemed to say that he agreed with her; but she was for
once determined to be answered more definitely, and she said, "I'm sure,
as a clergyman, you can say if there's anything in the Bible against my
having another husband?"

"I 'm certain there is not, madam."

"How nice it is in the Church of Rome that when there 's anything
you want to do, and it's not quite right to do it, you can have a
dispensation--that is, the Pope can make it perfectly moral and proper,
and legal besides. Protestantism is so narrow--terribly narrow. As the
dear Monsignore Balbi said to me the other night, it is a long 'Act of
Parliament against sin.' Was n't that neat? They are so clever!"

"I am so new to Italy, madam, that I have no acquaintance with these
gentlemen."

"I know you 'll like them when you do know them; they are so gentle and
so persuasive--I might say so fascinating. I assure you, Mr. L'Estrange,
I ran a very great risk of going over, as it is called. Indeed,
the 'Osservatore Romano' said I had gone over; but that is at least
premature. These are things one cannot do without long and deep
reflection, and intense self-examination--don't you think so? And
the dear old Cardinal Bottesini, who used to come to us every Friday
evening, warned me himself against my impulsiveness; and then poor
Colonel Bram-leigh"--here she raised her handkerchief to her eyes--"he
would n't hear of it at all; he was so devotedly attached to me--it was
positive love in a man of his mould--that the thought of my being lost
to him, as he called it, was maddening; and in fact he--he made it
downright impossible--impossible!" And at last she paused, and a very
painful expression in her face showed that her thoughts at the moment
were far from pleasurable. "Where was I? what was it I was going to
say?" resumed she, hurriedly. "Oh, I remember, I was going to tell
you that you must on no account 'go over,' and therefore, avoid of