hing else I was a woman, and that my
renunciation, if it was ever to come to pass, would be a still more
tragic thing than I had expected.

My grim battle had begun.

SIXTY-FIFTH CHAPTER

When I awoke in the morning I took myself severely to task. Was this how
I was fulfilling the promise I had made to Martin's mother, or preparing
to carry out the counsel of Father Dan?

"I must be more careful," I told myself. "I must keep a stronger hold of
myself."

The church bells began to ring, and I determined to go to mass. I wanted
to go alone and much as I grudged every minute of Martin's company which
I lost, I was almost glad when, on going into the boudoir with my missal
in my hand, I found him at a table covered with papers and heard him
say:

"Helloa! See these letters and telegrams? Sunday as it is I've got to
answer them."

Our church was a little chapel-of-ease on the edge of my husband's
estate, opened, after centuries of neglect, by the bad Lord Raa, in his
regenerate days, for the benefit of the people of his own village. It
was very sweet to see their homely faces as they reverently bowed and
rose, and even to hear their creachy voices when they joined in the
singing of the Gloria.

Following the gospel there was a sermon on the words "Lead us not into
temptation but deliver us from evil." The preacher was a young curate,
the brother of my husband's coachman; and it occurred to me that he
could know very little of temptation for himself, but the instruction he
gave us was according to the doctrine of our Church, as I had received
it from the Reverend Mother and the Cardinals who used to hold retreats
at the convent.

"Beware of the temptations of the flesh, my children," said the priest.
"The Evil One is very subtle, and not only in our moments of pride and
prosperity, but also in our hours of sorrow and affliction, he is for
ever waiting and watching to betray us to our downfall and damnation."

In the rustling that followed the sermon a poor woman who sat next to
me, with a print handkerchief over her head, whispered in my ear that
she was sorry she had not brought her husband, for he had given way to
drink, poor fellow, since the island had had such good times and wages
had been so high.

But the message came closer home to me. Remembering the emotions of the
night before, I prayed fervently to be strengthened against all
temptation and preserved from all sin. And when the mass was resume