'--wherewith, Mistress Blanche? With the truth of Holy
Scripture, or with the fantasies of human nature?"

"I would say," repeated Blanche rather warmly, "that her honour must be
very dear to her blessed Son."

"There is one honour ten thousand-fold dearer unto His heart, my maid,
and that is the honour of God His eternal Father. All honour, that
toucheth not this, I am ready to pay to her. But tell me wherefore you
think she must be His dearest?"

"Because it must needs be thus," replied illogical Blanche.

"I would ask you to remember, Mistress Blanche, that He hath told us the
clean contrary."

Blanche looked up with an astonished expression.

"`Whosoever shall do the will of My Father which is in Heaven, the same
is My brother, and sister, and mother.' Equally honourable, equally
dear, with that mother of His flesh whom you would fain upraise above
all other women. And I am likewise disposed to think that word of
Paul,--`Yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now
henceforth know we Him no more'--I say, I am disposed to think this may
have his reverse side. Though He hath known us after the flesh, yet
thus, now that He is exalted to the right hand of God, He knoweth us no
more. And if so, then Mary is now unto Him but one of a multitude of
saved souls, all equally fair and dear and precious in the eyes of Him
that died for them."

"O Master Tremayne!"

"What would you say, Mistress Blanche?"

"That is truly--it sounds so cold!" said Blanche, disparagingly.

"Doth it so?" asked the Rector, smiling. "Cold, that all should be
beloved of His heart? Dear maid, 'tis not that He loveth her the less,
but that He loveth the other more."

As Blanche made no response, Mr Tremayne went on.

"There is another side to this matter, Mistress Blanche, that I daresay
you have ne'er looked upon: and it toucheth at once the matter of
images, and the reverence due unto Saint Mary. Know you that great part
of the images held in worship for her by the Papists, be no images of
her at all? All the most ancient--and many be very ancient--were ne'er
made for Mary. The marvel-working black Virgins--our Lady of
Einsiedeln, our Lady of Loretto, and all such--be in very truth old
idols, of a certain Tuscan or Etruscan goddess, elder than the days of
the Romans. [Note 3.] Again, all they that are of fair complexion--such
as have grey eyes [blue eyes were then called grey] and yellow hair--
these be not Mar