gossa with
some other girls who have been postulants for six months and are about to
become novices."

"But Juanita is not a postulant," said Sarrion, with a laugh.

"She may have been told to consider herself one."

"But no one has a right to do that," said Sarrion pleasantly.

"No."

"And even if she were a novice she could draw back."

"There are some Orders," replied Sor Teresa, slowly stirring her coffee,
"which make it a matter of pride never to lose a novice."

"Excuse my pertinacity," said Sarrion. "I know that you prefer
generalities to anything of a personal nature, but does Juanita wish to
go into religion?"

"As much ..." She paused.

"Or as little," suggested Marcos, who was looking out of the window.

"As many who have entered that life." Sor Teresa completed the sentence
without noticing Marcos' interruption.

"And these periods of probation," said Sarrion, reverting to those
generalities which form the language of the cloister. "May they be
dispensed with?"

"Anything can be dispensed with--by a dispensation," was the reply.

Sarrion laughed, and with an easy tact changed the subject which could
scarcely be a pleasant one between a professed nun and two men known all
over Spain as leaders in that party which was erroneously called
Anti-Clerical, because it held that the Church should not have the
dominant voice in politics.

"Have you seen our friend, Evasio Mon, lately?" he asked.

"Yes--he is on the road behind me."

"Behind you? I understood that he left Pampeluna yesterday for
Saragossa," said Sarrion.

"Yes--but I heard at Alagon that he was delayed on the road at the
Castejon side of Alagon--an accident to his carriage--a broken wheel."

"Ah!" said Sarrion sympathetically. He glanced at Marcos who was looking
out of the window with a thoughtful smile.

"You yourself have had a hurried journey from Pampeluna," said Sarrion to
his sister. "I hear the railway line is broken by the Carlists."

"The damage is being repaired," replied Sor Teresa. "My journey was not a
pleasant one, but that is of no importance since I have arrived."

"Why did you come?" asked Marcos, bluntly. He was a plain-dealer in
thought and word. If Sor Teresa should embroil herself with her
confessor, as Sarrion had gracefully put it, by answering his questions,
that was her affair.

"I came to prevent, if I could, a great mistake."

"You mean that Juanita is quite unfitted for the life into which, for