miscalling it religion.
It's enough to drive a reasonable body to drink. Carnal I am, laddie, and
I just want to put some flesh on your bones. Monks indeed! And in this
age of the world too! Little Jack Horners sitting in corners and saying,
'Oh, what a good boy am I!'"

John defended his late brethren. They were holy men; they lived a holy
life; he had not been good enough for their company. "But I feel like a
sailor home from sea," he said; "tell me what has happened."

"Births, marriages, and deaths? I suppose ye're like the lave of the men,
and think nothing else matters to a woman. But come now, more chicken?
No? A wee bitty? Aye, but ye're sair altered, laddie! Weel, where can a
body begin?"

"The canon--how is he?"

"Fine as fi'pence. Guid as ever in the pulpit? Aye, but it's a pity he
doesna' bide there, for he's naething to be windy of when he comes out of
it. Deacon now, bless ye, or archdeacon, and some sic botherment, and his
daughter is to be married to yon slip of a curate with the rabbit mouth
and the heather legs. Weel, she wasna for all markets, ye ken."

"And Mrs. Macrae?"

"Gone over to the angels. Dead? Nae, ye're too expecting altogether.
She's got religion though, and holds missionary meetings in her
drawing-room of a Monday, and gives lunches to actor folk of a Sunday,
and now a poor woman that's been working for charity and Christianity all
her days has no chance with her anyway."

"And Miss Macrae?"

"Poor young leddy, they're for marrying her at last! Aye, to that Ure
man, that lord thing with the eyeglass. I much misdoubt but her heart's
been somewhere else, and there's ane auld woman would a hantle rather
have heard tell of her getting the richt man than seeing the laddie bury
hisel' in a monastery. She's given in at last though, and it's to be a
grand wedding they're telling me. Your Americans are kittle cattle--just
the Jews of the West seemingly, and they must do everything
splendiferously. There are to be jewels as big as walnuts, and bouquets
five feet in diameter, and a rope of pearls for a necklace, and a
rehearsal of the hale thing in the church. Aye, indeed, a rehearsal, and
the 'deacon, honest man, in the middle of the magnificence."

John Storm's pale face was twitching. "And the hospital," he said, "has
anything happened there--?"

"Nothing."

"No other case such as the one----"

"Not since yon poor bit lassie."

"Thank God!"

"It was the first ill thing I had h