y bigoted? That's one of the things I should like
to know."

"Very bigoted?"

"Ain't they tremendous Catholics--always talking about the Holy Father;
what they call here the throne and the altar? And don't they want the
throne too? I mean Mr. Probert, the old gentleman," Mr. Flack added.
"And those grand ladies and all the rest of them."

"They're very religious," said Francie. "They're the most religious
people I ever saw. They just adore the Holy Father. They know him
personally quite well. They're always going down to Rome."

"And do they mean to introduce you to him?"

"How do you mean, to introduce me?"

"Why to make you a Catholic, to take you also down to Rome."

"Oh we're going to Rome for our voyage de noces!" said Francie gaily.
"Just for a peep."

"And won't you have to have a Catholic marriage if They won't consent to
a Protestant one."

"We're going to have a lovely one, just like one that Mme. de Brecourt
took me to see at the Madeleine."

"And will it be at the Madeleine, too?"

"Yes, unless we have it at Notre Dame."

"And how will your father and sister like that?"

"Our having it at Notre Dame?"

"Yes, or at the Madeleine. Your not having it at the American church."

"Oh Delia wants it at the best place," said Francie simply. Then she
added: "And you know poppa ain't much on religion."

"Well now that's what I call a genuine fact, the sort I was talking
about," Mr. Flack replied. Whereupon he at last took himself off,
repeating that he would come in two days later, at 3.15 sharp.

Francie gave an account of his visit to her sister, on the return of
the latter young lady, and mentioned the agreement they had come to in
relation to the drive. Delia brooded on it a while like a sitting
hen, so little did she know that it was right ("as" it was right Delia
usually said) that Francie should be so intimate with other gentlemen
after she was engaged.

"Intimate? You wouldn't think it's very intimate if you were to see me!"
Francie cried with amusement.

"I'm sure I don't want to see you," Delia declared--the sharpness of
which made her sister suddenly strenuous.

"Delia Dosson, do you realise that if it hadn't been for Mr. Flack we
would never have had that picture, and that if it hadn't been for that
picture I should never have got engaged?"

"It would have been better if you hadn't, if that's the way you're going
to behave. Nothing would induce me to go with you."

This was what