sappointed at his want of curiosity--

'She would not submit to the rite when it came to the point. The water
looked so cold and dark and fearful, she said, that she could not do it
to save her life.'

'Surely she should have known her mind before she had gone so far?'
Somerset's words had a condemnatory form, but perhaps his actual feeling
was that if Miss Power had known her own mind, she would have not
interested him half so much.

'Paula's own mind had nothing to do with it!' said Miss De Stancy,
warming up to staunch partizanship in a moment. 'It was all undertaken
by her from a mistaken sense of duty. It was her father's dying wish
that she should make public profession of her--what do you call it--of
the denomination she belonged to, as soon as she felt herself fit to
do it: so when he was dead she tried and tried, and didn't get any more
fit; and at last she screwed herself up to the pitch, and thought she
must undergo the ceremony out of pure reverence for his memory. It was
very short-sighted of her father to put her in such a position: because
she is now very sad, as she feels she can never try again after such a
sermon as was delivered against her.'

Somerset presumed that Miss Power need not have heard this Knox or
Bossuet of hers if she had chosen to go away?

'She did not hear it in the face of the congregation; but from the
vestry. She told me some of it when she reached home. Would you believe
it, the man who preached so bitterly is a tenant of hers? I said,
"Surely you will turn him out of his house?"--But she answered, in her
calm, deep, nice way, that she supposed he had a perfect right to preach
against her, that she could not in justice molest him at all. I wouldn't
let him stay if the house were mine. But she has often before allowed
him to scold her from the pulpit in a smaller way--once it was about an
expensive dress she had worn--not mentioning her by name, you know; but
all the people are quite aware that it is meant for her, because only
one person of her wealth or position belongs to the Baptist body in this
county.'

Somerset was looking at the homely affectionate face of the little
speaker. 'You are her good friend, I am sure,' he remarked.

She looked into the distant air with tacit admission of the impeachment.
'So would you be if you knew her,' she said; and a blush slowly rose
to her cheek, as if the person spoken of had been a lover rather than a
friend.

'But you are not a