ay. I noticed, however, that he partook very sparingly of
dinner; and, in the hour or two which he usually spent on the Sabbath
with us in the drawing-room, he was unusually silent. I went to the
library for a book, leaving him and Mrs. Flaxman alone, and returned just
in time to interrupt, a second time, a conversation clearly not intended
for my ears.

"Yes. She was at church this morning, looking as wickedly beautiful as
ever," he was saying, as if in answer to Mrs. Flaxman's question.

When the church bells began ringing that evening, a strong desire seized
me to claim the fulfillment of his promise to accompany me to the Beech
Street Church. He may have read it in my face.

"Are you going to take me out again to-night?"

"Do you wish to go?" I asked, with girlish eagerness.

"I have told you before it is not polite to reply to a question by asking
another."

"Then I would like very much indeed to go to Mr. Lathrop's church
to-night, if you are willing."

Mrs. Flaxman looked up from her book with amazement.

"You were never at their church before. What will those people think?"

"There must always be a first time, and probably you are aware I am not
in bondage to other people's thoughts," he said, with calm indifference.

"Won't you come, too, Mrs. Flaxman?" I urged.

"With pleasure," was the smiling response.

"What will your Dr. Hill think if he hears you have been to hear
Lathrop?"

"I must endeavor to live above public opinion, as well as you."

"I am afraid such elevation would chill you."

"Don't you want Mrs. Flaxman to go?"

"I have nothing to say against it, if she has courage to brave public
opinion."

"I did not think you reckoned me such a coward."

"That shows how little we know what our intimate friends think of us; if
there was a general laying bare of hearts, methinks there would be lively
times for a while."

I stood thinking his words over very seriously, and then turning to him
said, gravely:--

"I would be willing for nearly all my friends to see my thoughts
respecting them."

"There would be some exceptions, then. You said nearly all, remember. The
few might be the ones most anxious to know, and upon whom the restriction
would bear most heavily."

"They might not care what I thought," I said with a hot flush; something
in his look making me tremble.

"If we are to be in time for church we should leave very shortly," he
said, looking at his watch.

"And we are real