t. Ay, and He spake of
certain that did vainly worship Him seeing they taught learning and
commandments of men." [Matthew 15, verse 9, Vulgate.]

"O Margaret! what art thou saying? Holy Church enjoins vows of
religion."

"Tell me then, Annora, what is Holy Church? It is a word that fills
man's mouth full comely, that I know. But what it _is_, is simply the
souls of all righteous men--all the redeemed of Christ our Lord, which
is His Body, and is filled with His Spirit. When did He enjoin such
vows? or when did all righteous men thus band together to make men and
women unrighteous, by binding commands upon them that were of men, not
of God?"

"Margaret, my Sister!" I cried in terror. "Whence drewest thou such
shocking thoughts? What will Father Benedict say when thou confessest
them?"

"It is not to Father Benedict I confess _them_," she said, with a little
curl of her lips. "I confess to him what he expects to hear--that I
loved not to sweep the gallery this morrow, or that I ate a lettuce last
night and forgot to sign the cross over it. Toys are meet for babes,
and babes for toys. They cannot understand the realities of life. Such
matters I confess to--another Priest, and He can understand them."

"Well," said I, "I always thought Father Hamon something less wise than
Father Benedict: at least, Father Benedict chides me, and Father Hamon
gives me neither blame nor commendation. But, Margaret, I do not
understand thy strange sayings in any wise. Surely thou knowest what is
the Church?"

"I know what it is not," saith she; "and that is Father Hamon, or Father
Benedict, or Father Anything-Else. Christ and they that are Christ's--
the Head and the Body, the Bridegroom and the Bride: behold the Church,
and behold her Priest and Confessor!"

"Margaret," saith Mother Alianora, "who taught thee that? Where didst
thou hear such learning?"

She did not speak chidingly, but only as if she desired information. I
was surprised she was not more severe, for truly I never heard such
talk, and I was sorely afraid for my poor Margaret, lest some evil thing
had got hold of her--maybe the Devil himself in the likeness of some
Sister in her old convent.

A wave of pain swept over Margaret's eyes when Mother Alianora said
that, and a dreamy look of calm came and chased it thence.

"Where?" she said. "In the burning fiery furnace, heated seven times
hotter than its wont. Of whom? Verily, I think, of that Fou