to be man an' wife? An' I say it, knowin'
that the convent is the best place in the world for anny girl. I wish
every girl that was born wint there. If they knew what is lyin' in wait
for thim whin they take up wid a man, there wouldn't be convents enough
to hould all that wud be runnin' to thim. But ye know as well as I do
that the girls are not med for the convent, except the blessed few...."

Anne fled from the stream of Judy's eloquence, and the old lady looked
expressively at Mona.

"She's afraid she's goin' to lose her Artie. Oh, these Irish mothers!
they'd kape a boy till his hairs were gray, an' mek him belave it too,
if they cud. I never saw but wan mother crazy to marry her son. That was
Biddy Brady, that wint to school wid yer mother, an' poor Micksheen was
a born ijit, wid a lip hangin' like a sign, so's ye cud hang an auction
notice on it. Sure, the poor boy wudn't lave his mother for Vanus
herself, an' the mother batin' him out o' the house every day, an' he
bawlin' for fear the women wud get hould of him."

Honora had observed the happy change in Arthur, her knight of service,
who had stood between her and danger, and had fought her battles with
chivalry; asking no reward, hinting at none, because she had already
given him all, a sister's love. What tenderness, what adoration, what
service had he lavished on her, unmarred by act, or word, or hint! God
would surely reward him for his consideration. Walking through the
scented woods she found it easy to tell them of the date fixed for her
entrance into the convent. Grand trees were marshalled along the path,
supporting a roof of gold and green, where the sun fell strong on the
heavy foliage.

"September," said Arthur making a calculation. "Why not wait until
October and then shed your colors with the trees. I can see her," he
went on humorously, "decorously arranging the black dress so that it
will hang well, and not make her a fright altogether before the other
women; and getting a right tilt to the black bonnet and enough lace in
it to set off her complexion."

"Six months later," said the Deacon taking up the strain, "she will do
better than that. Discarding the plain robes of the postulant, she will
get herself into the robes of a bride...."

"Oh, sooner than that," said Arthur with a meaning which escaped her.

"No, six months is the period," she corrected seriously.

"In wedding finery she will prance before her delighted friends for a
few mi