ld have
to wear secular dress.

The evening before Beatrice left, the two sat and talked for a couple of
hours. Margaret was miserable; she cried a little, clung to Beatrice,
and then was ashamed of herself.

"My dear child," said the other. "It is in your hands. You can do as you
please."

"But I cannot," sobbed the nun. "I cannot; I do not know. Let me come
with you, Beatrice."

Beatrice then settled down and talked to her. She told her of her duty
to her father for the present; she must remember that he was lonely now.
In any case she must not think of leaving home for another six months.
In the meantime she had to consider two points. First, did she consider
herself in conscience bound to Religion? What did the priest tell her?
If she did so consider herself, then there was no question; she must go
to Bruges and join the others. Secondly, if not, did she think herself
justified in leaving her father in the summer? If so, she might either
go to Great Keynes, or come up for at least a long visit to Charing.

"And what do you think?" asked the girl piteously.

"Do you wish me to tell you!" said Beatrice.

Margaret nodded.

"Then I think you should go to Bruges in July or August."

Margaret stared at her; the tears were very near her eyes again.

"My darling; I should love to have you in London," went on the other
caressing her. "Of course I should. But I cannot see that King Henry his
notions make any difference to your vows. They surely stand. Is it not
so, my dear?"

And so after a little more talk Margaret consented. Her mind had told
her that all along; it was her heart only that protested against this
final separation from her friend.

Chris too agreed when she spoke to him a day or two later when Beatrice
had gone back. He said he had been considering his own case too; and
that unless something very marked intervened he proposed to follow Dom
Anthony abroad. They could travel together, he said. Finally, when the
matter was laid before their father he also consented.

"I shall do very well," he said. "Mary spoke to me of it; and Nicholas
has asked me to make my home at Great Keynes; so if you go, my son, with
Meg in the summer, I shall finish matters here, lease out the estate,
and Mr. Carleton and I shall betake ourselves there. Unless"--he
said--"unless Ralph should come to another mind."

* * * * *

As the spring and early summer drew on, the news, as has been s