ess, when Mona's glance had rested
momentarily upon his face as she made her surprising announcement, he
flattered himself that he had done nothing to show his real opinion.
Nor had he, actively, but there was not the slightest sign of
brightening at the news, such as would have lit up the countenance of,
say, Lambert, in like case. And this she, for her part, did not fail to
note.

It was a lovely morning as they rode forth along the base of the great
sweeping slopes, terraced at intervals with buttresses of cliff. The
air was as clear and exhilarating as wine, and the sky one vivid,
radiant, azure vault. High overhead a white fleecy cloud or two soared
around a craggy peak.

"Isn't it a day?" cried Mona, half breathlessly, as they pulled up to a
walk, after a long canter over the nearly level plain. "Grace thinks we
are an out-and-out sinful trio."

"So we are, Miss Ridsdale," said Roden. "But you're the worst. Woman--
lovely woman--is nothing if not devout. Now, with Suffield and myself
it doesn't matter. We are the unregenerate and brutal sex."

"Well it isn't our fault, anyway," said Suffield. "We are Church of
England, and that persuasion is not represented in Doppersdorp. And, at
any rate, it's better to be doing something rational on Sunday than to
sit twirling one's thumbs and yawning, and smoking too many pipes all
day because it is Sunday."

"Why don't you agitate for a church, then?" asked Roden.

"Oh, the bishop and the dean are too hard at it, fighting out their
battle royal in Grahamstown, to spare time to attend to us. There's a
Methodist meeting-house in Doppersdorp and a Catholic chapel, as well as
the Dutch Reformed church, but we are left to slide."

"Have you been to the Catholic church, Mr Musgrave?" said Mona. "I go
there sometimes, though I always have to fight Grace before and after on
the subject. But I don't see why I shouldn't go. I like it."

"That surely should be justification enough."

"Don't put on that nasty, cynical tone when I want you to talk quite
nicely."

"But I don't know how."

"I'm not going to pay you the compliment you're fishing for. What were
we talking about? Oh, I know. Isn't Father O'Driscoll a dear old man?"

"I suppose so, if that means something in his favour."

"That is just like you," said Mona, half angrily. "Why don't you agree
with me cordially instead of in that half-hearted way, especially as you
and he have become such friends