gratify a natural curiosity, and he seemed willing
to throw light on the mystery. She was about to offer the necessary
encouragement, when Father Burke took the conversation into less
personal fields. It may have been the contagion of this young man's
cheerfulness, or the reaction on the lady's part from an acute religious
tension, but the priest had noticed Miss Marshall was awakening to a
livelier enjoyment of her surroundings. The spontaneity and freedom of
her laughter, on one or two occasions, had caused him a certain
uneasiness. Not that Father Burke was averse to merriment. Too much of
it, however, for this particular maiden and at this critical period,
might cause a divergence from the Holy Roman path along which he now was
escorting her. So he gave some interesting facts concerning this summer
residence of the Boyds, winding up with the information that the hunting
and fishing, all about there, were unusual.

"But we women cannot hunt and fish all day!"

"Perhaps it's like Heaven," said Pats, "where there's nothing to do
except to realize what a good time you are having."

"I hope that is not your idea of a woman's ambition."

"What better business on a summer's day?"

"Many things," replied the priest, "if she has a soul to expand and a
mind to cultivate."

"But I was speaking of the natural, unvarnished woman we all enjoy and
are not afraid of."

Miss Marshall, in a politely contemptuous manner, inquired, "Then,
personally, you find the intelligent woman of high ideals less congenial
than--the other kind?"

"I find the superior woman with a gift of language is a thing that makes
brave men tremble. I think wisdom should be tempered with mercy."

After a pause, and with a touch of sarcasm, she replied:

"That is quite interesting. A fresh point of view always broadens the
horizon."

Ignoring her tone, he answered in an off-hand, amiable way:

"Of course there is no reason why a woman should not enter politics or
anything else, if she wishes. And there is no reason why a rose should
not aspire to be a useful potato. But potatoes will always be cheaper
than roses."

She smiled wearily and leaned back. As their eyes met he detected a look
of disappointment--perhaps at her discovery of yet one more man like all
the others, earthy and superficial. But she merely said, and in a gentle
tone:

"You forget that while all men are wise, all women are not beautiful."

With a deep sigh he replied, "The p